Today, I am 28 weeks along. Selah Grace is about 2.25 pounds now and, according to my weekly pregnancy emails, is batting her little eyelashes now. :) :) :)
She also reacts and moves away from light, which is great fun for Big Brother and a flashlight. Sibling tormenting starts so early..... But it's cute to see them "interact" and watch him connect with her in his own little way. (ever since tiny baby Audrey held his hand the other day and wouldn't let him go, he is sure Selah Grace will completely adore him)
She moves SO much - just like Zac did! I feel her all day and all night. It is such a blessing to have this special time with her. I feel like I am really getting to know her already and I love it. Brian, on the other hand, just wants to hold her! He is chomping at the bit to see her and cuddle with her.
In Zac news - he started swimming lessons today and ROCKS at it! This is his year! No fear, no caution. Just confidence and fun. After years of coaxing him into swimming lessons, this is such a blessing!
Today, he was already starting to swim all by himself! He loves the water, which is so fun, because I love it too. We plan to swim at least once a day when we move next week. A pool for 3 summers.... I can't wait!
Also, tonight Star Wars is on television and he read some of the captioning that came on when some of the alien-looking-things talk star wars language. Such a smartie-pants!
In moving news - our house is a total disaster. And I mean disaster. Mostly it's in the living room, which is rarely used. But still. It looks awful. Especially from the front door!
And not only are we moving, but tonight I have a huge project to label all the clothes I'm selling at consignment in 3 weeks. It's an online labeling system, but takes a lot of time to give each item a size, description, price, etc. And the amount of clothing is a little crazy. Piles and piles around my computer desk. Ugh.
Oh, and with our washer and dryer unplugged, our dirty laundry is really starting to pile up. We will probably move the washer and dryer first thing Friday morning, and get some loads going.
The kitchen counters are covered with paper products. I will admit, though, it's nice to have no dishes to wash!
Oh - and, our new laundry room is almost done! The actual room is done and painted. But Moses still has to finish outside walls (paint the kitchen and the garage). Too bad our washer and dryer won't be seeing that room for 2 more years. :)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Rodeo
There's nothing like a small town Texas rodeo. :)
A rare picture of me
We got to see some sweet friends
And, of course, he had a blast! :)
A rare picture of me
We got to see some sweet friends
And, of course, he had a blast! :)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Our little reader
We're busy today packing up the kitchen - our BIG room to pack before moving.
I've already sorted the bathrooms and dresser drawers, cleaned out all the cabinets, getting rid of things we don't need/use/want to move. Those drawers/cabinets are ready to each be thrown into a box. Easy.
With the kitchen, it's just that you have to wrap everything and it takes so long. But all our boxes are in the backyard, and it's supposed to rain tomorrow, so today's the day to get it done.
Then, off to Walmart to buy paper plates. I think I'll buy some birthday party plates to make it kind of fun for this week. :)
Anyways, on to bragging on ZZ....
We are SOOOOO proud of his reading lately. He saw a bus on Friday and announced, "Dallas CONTINUE Schools." It actually said "Dallas COUNTY schools"... but he still amazes us.
We joined the summer reading club/contest at the church library today, so that should be something fun for ZZ this month. The top 25 readers in each age group get their picture in the library!
This night that I took this video... I actually video'd pretty much the entire book. But we thought we'd spare you and just give you the last 2 pages.
He won't read to show off to anyone else. (And he doesn't understand my desperate desire to show him off to the world!!!) But he loves to be videotaped reading b/c then he can actually watch himself. And who doesn't like to watch themselves on video?
Enjoy our little reader. :)
Friday, June 26, 2009
New allergy treatment
Zac has seasonal allergies. They aren't too bad, but it's hard to see your little one sniffling and sneezing and uncomfortable. We had been giving him Claritin and Zyrtec every morning, when someone told us about "local honey."
We researched this idea a little bit.....
I am often asked about the potential health benefits of using local honey.
Honey contains bits and pieces of pollen and honey, and as an immune system booster, it is quite powerful. I have often in talks and articles, and in my books, advocated using local honey. Frequently I’ll get emails from readers who want to know exactly what I mean by local honey, and how “local” should it be. This is what I usually advise:
Allergies arise from continuous over-exposure to the same allergens. If, for example, you live in an area where there is a great deal of red clover growing, and if in addition you often feed red clover hay to your own horses or cattle, then it likely you are exposed over and over to pollen from this same red clover. Now, red clover pollen is not especially allergenic but still, with time, a serious allergy to it can easily arise.
Another example: if you lived in a southern area where bottlebrush trees were frequently used in the landscapes or perhaps you had a bottlebrush tree growing in your own yard, your odds of over-exposure to this tree’s tiny, triangular, and potently very allergenic pollen is greatly enhanced.
In the two examples used above, both species of plants are what we call amphipilous, meaning they are pollinated by both insects and by the wind. Honeybees will collect pollen from each of these species and it will be present in small amounts in honey that was gathered by bees that were working areas where these species are growing. When people living in these same areas eat honey that was produced in that environment, the honey will often act as an immune booster. The good effects of this local honey are best when the honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons-full) a day for several months prior to the pollen season.
When I’m asked how local should the honey be for allergy prevention I always advise to get honey that was raised closest to where you live, the closer the better since it will have more of exactly what you’ll need.
It may seem odd that straight exposure to pollen often triggers allergies but that exposure to pollen in the honey usually has the opposite effect. But this is typically what we see. In honey the allergens are delivered in small, manageable doses and the effect over time is very much like that from undergoing a whole series of allergy immunology injections. The major difference though is that the honey is a lot easier to take and it is certainly a lot less expensive. I am always surprised that this powerful health benefit of local honey is not more widely understood, as it is simple, easy, and often surprisingly effective.
The explanations we found seemed to make sense. And then we found a local honey company. So, when we were out of allergy medication, we started Zac on 1 tablespoon of local honey each morning.
The results were immediate! It seems to work just as good - if not better - than "real" medication.
We did learn that our local honey didn't work when we visited my parent's house, so if we travel, we'll have some Claritin or Zyrtec on hand. Otherwise, it's been a wonderful and more natural approach that has worked for months now on our sweet little ZZ. :)
We researched this idea a little bit.....
I am often asked about the potential health benefits of using local honey.
Honey contains bits and pieces of pollen and honey, and as an immune system booster, it is quite powerful. I have often in talks and articles, and in my books, advocated using local honey. Frequently I’ll get emails from readers who want to know exactly what I mean by local honey, and how “local” should it be. This is what I usually advise:
Allergies arise from continuous over-exposure to the same allergens. If, for example, you live in an area where there is a great deal of red clover growing, and if in addition you often feed red clover hay to your own horses or cattle, then it likely you are exposed over and over to pollen from this same red clover. Now, red clover pollen is not especially allergenic but still, with time, a serious allergy to it can easily arise.
Another example: if you lived in a southern area where bottlebrush trees were frequently used in the landscapes or perhaps you had a bottlebrush tree growing in your own yard, your odds of over-exposure to this tree’s tiny, triangular, and potently very allergenic pollen is greatly enhanced.
In the two examples used above, both species of plants are what we call amphipilous, meaning they are pollinated by both insects and by the wind. Honeybees will collect pollen from each of these species and it will be present in small amounts in honey that was gathered by bees that were working areas where these species are growing. When people living in these same areas eat honey that was produced in that environment, the honey will often act as an immune booster. The good effects of this local honey are best when the honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons-full) a day for several months prior to the pollen season.
When I’m asked how local should the honey be for allergy prevention I always advise to get honey that was raised closest to where you live, the closer the better since it will have more of exactly what you’ll need.
It may seem odd that straight exposure to pollen often triggers allergies but that exposure to pollen in the honey usually has the opposite effect. But this is typically what we see. In honey the allergens are delivered in small, manageable doses and the effect over time is very much like that from undergoing a whole series of allergy immunology injections. The major difference though is that the honey is a lot easier to take and it is certainly a lot less expensive. I am always surprised that this powerful health benefit of local honey is not more widely understood, as it is simple, easy, and often surprisingly effective.
The explanations we found seemed to make sense. And then we found a local honey company. So, when we were out of allergy medication, we started Zac on 1 tablespoon of local honey each morning.
The results were immediate! It seems to work just as good - if not better - than "real" medication.
We did learn that our local honey didn't work when we visited my parent's house, so if we travel, we'll have some Claritin or Zyrtec on hand. Otherwise, it's been a wonderful and more natural approach that has worked for months now on our sweet little ZZ. :)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Itching
It must be nesting. Because I can't wait to decorate the apartment!!!
It doesn't help that one of my most favorite inspiring decorating bloggers has just moved to a rental home, and I'm all excited watching her post pictures of her house as she unpacks and decorates.
She makes me want to paint our TV armoire and hot glue everything. And THEN today she mentioned starching her walls with fabric. omg. I wonder if I can hide a HUGE fabric purchase somewhere in the budget.....
Zac and Selah Grace are going to be sharing a room, and I've already figured out how to make it a SUPER cute combination, using the black damask fabric for Selah's stuff and the black striped fabric for Zac's. Can't wait to see how that turns out!
It doesn't help that one of my most favorite inspiring decorating bloggers has just moved to a rental home, and I'm all excited watching her post pictures of her house as she unpacks and decorates.
She makes me want to paint our TV armoire and hot glue everything. And THEN today she mentioned starching her walls with fabric. omg. I wonder if I can hide a HUGE fabric purchase somewhere in the budget.....
Zac and Selah Grace are going to be sharing a room, and I've already figured out how to make it a SUPER cute combination, using the black damask fabric for Selah's stuff and the black striped fabric for Zac's. Can't wait to see how that turns out!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
New apartment and lots of random rambling
We got to pick out our new apartment yesterday. It's the same one we saw last week, but now it's clean with new carpeting. We measured and our big comfy sectional sofa WILL fit, so that's a relief! We were able to kind of figure out where everything will go and I'm already stocking up my glue-gun for window treatments. Also, we are steps away from the gym. No excuses. And next to the pool, too. :)
We hadn't said much to ZZ about it. He saw a picture of the property the other evening during dinner, and he says, "Hey! That looks like a really cool place to live."
And we say, "Yeah... maybe we could move there someday. But what would we do with our house?"
He says, "We could get someone to live here?"
And we say, "Great idea! But maybe we could move back when you're 6?"
He says, "Sure."
So, when we saw the apartment yesterday, he walked right in and picked out his room. (the one with the attached bathroom and big garden tub - smart kid) He really wanted to go swimming, especially since a lot of the pool is only 3ft deep, so he'll be able to stand up in it.
Then he asked how we'd get our stuff over there.
"Will we have to go back and forth and back and forth and back and forth?"
"No ZZ, we'll just get one big truck and make one trip."
"Oh. And I can help with the couch. I'll get one side, and Daddy and his friends can get the other side."
So, he's excited, and most likely thinking this was all his idea. :)
We are tentatively scheduled to move on July 3. Brian has Friday off, so we'll move as much as we can. Meaning: I point and Brian carries. ;)
Then we are hoping to round up some friends on Friday evening/Saturday morning/afternoon - whenever we can find help on this holiday weekend! We've had several people offer, but we aren't sure how that will work since people will also be celebrating that weekend.
If we can find just 2 other guys, we really only *need* help with the two couches. Everything else Brian can pull on the dolly. One couch has to go upstairs, though, and I just can't help at all with that. I'm going to send out an email as soon as we have a move-in date set in stone. *fingers crossed*
We are very thankful that:
1. We are just moving down the highway, so multiple trips will be easy.
2. We don't have a lot of furniture or stuff! So, it will be a quick move.
3. We have a 3-day weekend to take advantage of
4. We will be done in time to celebrate the 4th with our friends!!
And *I'm* SO SO VERY thankful for a husband who works SO hard, never complains, stays positive, does 10X more than his share, makes me feel like a beautiful princess everyday (despite what I see in the mirror), and makes this new adventure so much fun.
Did I mention he's super strong? He and Zac were in the garage last night moving some stuff and I heard Zac says, "Whoa! I didn't know you were that strong!" Often that is my same thought... and more than just physical strength. He keeps us on track spiritually, financially, and emotionally. (Oh, and he does most of the laundry and dishes. Seriously!) He's inspiring and amazing!!
In the next two weeks:
* we have a packing schedule (are we organized or what?)
* schedule electricity (no cable.... we have plenty of other things to keep us busy)
* attend some other Cares teams events
* plan our August Cares team calendar
* ZZ swimming lessons
* schedule vacation!
OH - and did we mention there is a huge HOLE in our house?
We decided to have Moses come and build our laundry room before we moved out, rather than when we were trying to move back in. So, the a/c is struggling to keep up with the hot air seeping in through plastic sheets, and I'm hoping that the sweat will stave off some of my weight gain... haha
I'm *really* excited that the washer/dryer won't be in the garage anymore, though. Even if I can't enjoy it for 2 years. Something to look forward to. :) And we love our Moses. :)
We have a very fun July coming up, also. More swimming lessons, another vacation bible school, weekly bible study, wedding, consignment sales, and our 2nd trip to Cabo - which will be quick but FUN! Also, my dr appts have moved to every 3 weeks now. :) Yay! And I get to practice my photography with a sweet friend, who offered her family up for a session. (SO excited about that!)
In fact, we are so busy, I'll hardly have time to beg for an iPhone. Which Brian will be thankful for. ;)
That's all for now. I'm off to organize Zac's room this morning while he plays around me.
I *love* watching him play. He's so into imaginary play lately. We had to deposit a check this morning and he wanted the receipt so he could play "bank" when we got back.
As an educator, I absolutely LOVE this type of play. It is so meaningful and crammed-packed full of teaching opportunities and mini-lessons. It's one of the reasons he's reading so well, in my opinion. Yesterday, he walked around with a notepad, informing me that he had it in case he "saw something strange." Sure enough, he found a strange table and documented that. Way beyond the workbooks we use!!!
I took some video of him reading a book the other evening. I'll have to post it soon. He's really becoming quite the reader now.
He won't do it for show. Meaning, I couldn't PAY him to read in front of someone else to show off. It's just not his personality. But, during playtime and at bedtime, he reads everything. He also loves to read through the cable guide on the television. Unfortunately, this is a little scary, since some very innappropriate show titles are WAY too easy to read. (re: mtv shows) And he sometimes accidentally selects Jerry Springer, hoping it's Tom and Jerry. Yikes!
He and Brian are also always writing each other "surprise" notes on his easel or leaving post-its for each other. This is funny b/c ZZ writes some off-the-wall things that he just *knows* will make Brian laugh. We are really laughing because we simply don't get it. But I guess boy-humor is like that sometimes. ;) And before Brian goes out of town, he'll often leave post-its all over the house for ZZ - in the cabinets, on his pillow, on the mirror, etc. I wish he could see the reaction it gets from Zac... priceless. :) (sometimes I get a note on my pillow too!)
Seriously. I need to get to work. I'm really rambling. I could talk/write forever about my sweet boys!!
Have a blessed day!
We hadn't said much to ZZ about it. He saw a picture of the property the other evening during dinner, and he says, "Hey! That looks like a really cool place to live."
And we say, "Yeah... maybe we could move there someday. But what would we do with our house?"
He says, "We could get someone to live here?"
And we say, "Great idea! But maybe we could move back when you're 6?"
He says, "Sure."
So, when we saw the apartment yesterday, he walked right in and picked out his room. (the one with the attached bathroom and big garden tub - smart kid) He really wanted to go swimming, especially since a lot of the pool is only 3ft deep, so he'll be able to stand up in it.
Then he asked how we'd get our stuff over there.
"Will we have to go back and forth and back and forth and back and forth?"
"No ZZ, we'll just get one big truck and make one trip."
"Oh. And I can help with the couch. I'll get one side, and Daddy and his friends can get the other side."
So, he's excited, and most likely thinking this was all his idea. :)
We are tentatively scheduled to move on July 3. Brian has Friday off, so we'll move as much as we can. Meaning: I point and Brian carries. ;)
Then we are hoping to round up some friends on Friday evening/Saturday morning/afternoon - whenever we can find help on this holiday weekend! We've had several people offer, but we aren't sure how that will work since people will also be celebrating that weekend.
If we can find just 2 other guys, we really only *need* help with the two couches. Everything else Brian can pull on the dolly. One couch has to go upstairs, though, and I just can't help at all with that. I'm going to send out an email as soon as we have a move-in date set in stone. *fingers crossed*
We are very thankful that:
1. We are just moving down the highway, so multiple trips will be easy.
2. We don't have a lot of furniture or stuff! So, it will be a quick move.
3. We have a 3-day weekend to take advantage of
4. We will be done in time to celebrate the 4th with our friends!!
And *I'm* SO SO VERY thankful for a husband who works SO hard, never complains, stays positive, does 10X more than his share, makes me feel like a beautiful princess everyday (despite what I see in the mirror), and makes this new adventure so much fun.
Did I mention he's super strong? He and Zac were in the garage last night moving some stuff and I heard Zac says, "Whoa! I didn't know you were that strong!" Often that is my same thought... and more than just physical strength. He keeps us on track spiritually, financially, and emotionally. (Oh, and he does most of the laundry and dishes. Seriously!) He's inspiring and amazing!!
In the next two weeks:
* we have a packing schedule (are we organized or what?)
* schedule electricity (no cable.... we have plenty of other things to keep us busy)
* attend some other Cares teams events
* plan our August Cares team calendar
* ZZ swimming lessons
* schedule vacation!
OH - and did we mention there is a huge HOLE in our house?
We decided to have Moses come and build our laundry room before we moved out, rather than when we were trying to move back in. So, the a/c is struggling to keep up with the hot air seeping in through plastic sheets, and I'm hoping that the sweat will stave off some of my weight gain... haha
I'm *really* excited that the washer/dryer won't be in the garage anymore, though. Even if I can't enjoy it for 2 years. Something to look forward to. :) And we love our Moses. :)
We have a very fun July coming up, also. More swimming lessons, another vacation bible school, weekly bible study, wedding, consignment sales, and our 2nd trip to Cabo - which will be quick but FUN! Also, my dr appts have moved to every 3 weeks now. :) Yay! And I get to practice my photography with a sweet friend, who offered her family up for a session. (SO excited about that!)
In fact, we are so busy, I'll hardly have time to beg for an iPhone. Which Brian will be thankful for. ;)
That's all for now. I'm off to organize Zac's room this morning while he plays around me.
I *love* watching him play. He's so into imaginary play lately. We had to deposit a check this morning and he wanted the receipt so he could play "bank" when we got back.
As an educator, I absolutely LOVE this type of play. It is so meaningful and crammed-packed full of teaching opportunities and mini-lessons. It's one of the reasons he's reading so well, in my opinion. Yesterday, he walked around with a notepad, informing me that he had it in case he "saw something strange." Sure enough, he found a strange table and documented that. Way beyond the workbooks we use!!!
I took some video of him reading a book the other evening. I'll have to post it soon. He's really becoming quite the reader now.
He won't do it for show. Meaning, I couldn't PAY him to read in front of someone else to show off. It's just not his personality. But, during playtime and at bedtime, he reads everything. He also loves to read through the cable guide on the television. Unfortunately, this is a little scary, since some very innappropriate show titles are WAY too easy to read. (re: mtv shows) And he sometimes accidentally selects Jerry Springer, hoping it's Tom and Jerry. Yikes!
He and Brian are also always writing each other "surprise" notes on his easel or leaving post-its for each other. This is funny b/c ZZ writes some off-the-wall things that he just *knows* will make Brian laugh. We are really laughing because we simply don't get it. But I guess boy-humor is like that sometimes. ;) And before Brian goes out of town, he'll often leave post-its all over the house for ZZ - in the cabinets, on his pillow, on the mirror, etc. I wish he could see the reaction it gets from Zac... priceless. :) (sometimes I get a note on my pillow too!)
Seriously. I need to get to work. I'm really rambling. I could talk/write forever about my sweet boys!!
Have a blessed day!
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