Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Funk Soul Brother
It's 4:30 on a Sunday morning and I'm awake.
Just take a moment to gather that all in....
Ace woke up around 3:30 and I've just not been able to settle my mind down enough to go back to sleep, so here I am blogger. You better believe I've already got the coffee brewing.
Tonight my husband and I will dedicate our baby son to the Lord. We did this very same thing 3 years ago with Jackson. But it feels so different now. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but something just feels changed.
It's not the sentiment of it. When we dedicated our oldest, I meant every bit of it. I knew back then that I wanted to raise Jackson in a Christ centered home. I knew that I wanted his heart to be prepared for Jesus. I knew back then just like I know now that I loved my child more than life itself.
Maybe what I didn't know was just how hard it was. If I want my children to know Jesus, I have to let Jesus shine through me. And to be honest with you, sometimes I just don't feel like it. I want to be grumpy. I'm selfish a lot. That's definitely not a trait of Jesus. Sometimes I loose my temper when it just isn't necessary. I could go on and on about the sin and faults in my life.
Maybe I also didn't know back then how blessed I am. My heart has just been broken over so many families that I read about on different blogs. Sweet families who have had to say goodbye to babies until Heaven, women who are struggling with infertility, miscarriages, sickness. Tears fill my eyes as I think of a precious family at our church who are desperately grieving the loss of a baby. My children are here and they are healthy. I praise Jesus for this, but I can't help but question and hurt for those who can't say the same.
Jesus, all I can know for sure is that You are found everywhere. You are with those who are grieving, You are with those who a fighting sickness, You are with those who are struggling. I praise You Lord for being with me when I am anything but deserving. Precious Jesus, wrap your arms around those who are hurting right now. Blanket them with your love and comfort. Father, I thank You for the blessings of my children. I pray that you make me the mother that they need. Create in me a passion for you that is evident to my little boys. Allow me to show them Jesus by being the hands and feet of Jesus to others. Put a longing in their hearts for You. Thank You for my children. Please never let me take one single moment for granted. In Your sweet name, Amen.
Just take a moment to gather that all in....
Ace woke up around 3:30 and I've just not been able to settle my mind down enough to go back to sleep, so here I am blogger. You better believe I've already got the coffee brewing.
Tonight my husband and I will dedicate our baby son to the Lord. We did this very same thing 3 years ago with Jackson. But it feels so different now. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but something just feels changed.
It's not the sentiment of it. When we dedicated our oldest, I meant every bit of it. I knew back then that I wanted to raise Jackson in a Christ centered home. I knew that I wanted his heart to be prepared for Jesus. I knew back then just like I know now that I loved my child more than life itself.
Maybe what I didn't know was just how hard it was. If I want my children to know Jesus, I have to let Jesus shine through me. And to be honest with you, sometimes I just don't feel like it. I want to be grumpy. I'm selfish a lot. That's definitely not a trait of Jesus. Sometimes I loose my temper when it just isn't necessary. I could go on and on about the sin and faults in my life.
Maybe I also didn't know back then how blessed I am. My heart has just been broken over so many families that I read about on different blogs. Sweet families who have had to say goodbye to babies until Heaven, women who are struggling with infertility, miscarriages, sickness. Tears fill my eyes as I think of a precious family at our church who are desperately grieving the loss of a baby. My children are here and they are healthy. I praise Jesus for this, but I can't help but question and hurt for those who can't say the same.
Jesus, all I can know for sure is that You are found everywhere. You are with those who are grieving, You are with those who a fighting sickness, You are with those who are struggling. I praise You Lord for being with me when I am anything but deserving. Precious Jesus, wrap your arms around those who are hurting right now. Blanket them with your love and comfort. Father, I thank You for the blessings of my children. I pray that you make me the mother that they need. Create in me a passion for you that is evident to my little boys. Allow me to show them Jesus by being the hands and feet of Jesus to others. Put a longing in their hearts for You. Thank You for my children. Please never let me take one single moment for granted. In Your sweet name, Amen.
Friday, May 1, 2009
The heart of my home
Kelly's Korner, one of my absolute favorite blogs, is hosting a tour of homes. I love looking at other people's homes, and thought I would join in on the fun. This week is kitchen week. My kitchen is definitely the heart of our home. I spend so much time in our kitchen, either preparing, eating, or cleaning up from mealtime. That rotation is probably the majority of my day. Ahhhh, the life of a mom.
As you can see from my kitchen, there are a few things that I'm not afraid of. That would be: Color, things that are so ugly they are cute, roosters, retro, and mismatched stuff. I would say the main theme of my kitchen is colorful-retro-mismatched. Ha- love it. I could probably describe myself with that same combination of words.
This is our first home, and when we purchased it 5 years ago, I didn't love the kitchen. But back then, we thought we would be in this house a max of 5 years or so. Ha! With the housing market the way it is, we are now in this house for the long haul. Or at least several more years. So, with that being said, there are going to be ongoing upgrades to get the kitchen to where I want it. We are going to remove the tile flooring and have our concrete stained, and also have our cabinets painted & antiqued. Eventually I would like to have stainless steel appliances, but that won't be until the current appliances I have die.
So... without further ado... here's my kitchen.
Oh wait, that's Jackson's kitchen. Here' mine:
The long view. Just a galley kitchen. Unfortunately, no room for an island.
My bakers rack. I collect McCoy pottery, which is the yellow stuff on top. This also houses my 70's cannister set, my antique Pyrex bowl, my antique scale, and at the very bottom are some bibs for the baby and my cookbooks.
I found this little pitcher at a yard sale for a dollar. It is McCoy and very old. Worth waaaay more than a dollar!
Love my gas stove. So much better than electric.
My dishes are Fiestaware. I love all the gorgeous colors. I also have a small collection of Jadeite.
This is what I call "so ugly that it's cute". This is another $1 yard sale find. Owls are very in right now!
This wine rack is right above my sink. We bought this from Pottery Barn right after we bought the house to cover up the huge open space. We're not wine drinkers, but I thought it was pretty.
I much prefer a clean refrigerator with nothing on it. But, with kids it's kind of impossible to keep it cleared off.
Our kitchen table. Lots of meals eaten together here. Love it!
This is a painting of my Papaw's barn. Seriously, it looks just like that. (Mountains and everything.) This is very special to me.
Jackson's finger painting that I framed. He made this for me for Mother's Day when he was just a year old. Can't wait until Ace is old enough to frame some of his artwork!
AND... lastly, our family calendar. This keeps me together. It hangs on the long wall going into our laundry room. I couldn't remember anything without this.
Hope y'all enjoyed my tour. Thanks, Kelly for hosting!!!
As you can see from my kitchen, there are a few things that I'm not afraid of. That would be: Color, things that are so ugly they are cute, roosters, retro, and mismatched stuff. I would say the main theme of my kitchen is colorful-retro-mismatched. Ha- love it. I could probably describe myself with that same combination of words.
This is our first home, and when we purchased it 5 years ago, I didn't love the kitchen. But back then, we thought we would be in this house a max of 5 years or so. Ha! With the housing market the way it is, we are now in this house for the long haul. Or at least several more years. So, with that being said, there are going to be ongoing upgrades to get the kitchen to where I want it. We are going to remove the tile flooring and have our concrete stained, and also have our cabinets painted & antiqued. Eventually I would like to have stainless steel appliances, but that won't be until the current appliances I have die.
So... without further ado... here's my kitchen.
Oh wait, that's Jackson's kitchen. Here' mine:
The long view. Just a galley kitchen. Unfortunately, no room for an island.
My bakers rack. I collect McCoy pottery, which is the yellow stuff on top. This also houses my 70's cannister set, my antique Pyrex bowl, my antique scale, and at the very bottom are some bibs for the baby and my cookbooks.
I found this little pitcher at a yard sale for a dollar. It is McCoy and very old. Worth waaaay more than a dollar!
Love my gas stove. So much better than electric.
My dishes are Fiestaware. I love all the gorgeous colors. I also have a small collection of Jadeite.
This is what I call "so ugly that it's cute". This is another $1 yard sale find. Owls are very in right now!
This wine rack is right above my sink. We bought this from Pottery Barn right after we bought the house to cover up the huge open space. We're not wine drinkers, but I thought it was pretty.
I much prefer a clean refrigerator with nothing on it. But, with kids it's kind of impossible to keep it cleared off.
Our kitchen table. Lots of meals eaten together here. Love it!
This is a painting of my Papaw's barn. Seriously, it looks just like that. (Mountains and everything.) This is very special to me.
Jackson's finger painting that I framed. He made this for me for Mother's Day when he was just a year old. Can't wait until Ace is old enough to frame some of his artwork!
AND... lastly, our family calendar. This keeps me together. It hangs on the long wall going into our laundry room. I couldn't remember anything without this.
Hope y'all enjoyed my tour. Thanks, Kelly for hosting!!!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
2 Months
Ace, at 2 months you are:
*Sleeping so well at night! You go to bed around 9pm and then you don't get up until around 2am. Sometimes you will even wait until 4-5am to wake me up! Thank you, sweet baby. Momma really appreciates this! And when you do wake up to eat, you quickly go back to sleep. You are up in the morning around 8 am, and you're ready to go!
*You do not sleep so well during the day. I can usually get you to take a nap around 2-3 in the afternoon. Other than that, it is just a little cat nap here or there. And you want to be held a ton. It is a little stressful sometimes, because I have lots to do around the house and with your big brother. But I know this too shall pass, and I need to take in all your sweet, chubby, "babyness" while I can.
*You think it is so funny when I squeeze your cheeks. I can always get a smile that way.
*Your big brother is head over heals in love with you. You light up when he talks to you. I can already see your friendship and love for each other blossoming. What a blessing!
*You love to eat. You start smacking when we sit down in the rocker that you usually nurse in.
*You HATE to have a wet or dirty diaper. I cannot blame you.
*We just love you to pieces. Our little family of four has really seemed to just settle in so easily. What a precious little man you are!
*You do not sleep so well during the day. I can usually get you to take a nap around 2-3 in the afternoon. Other than that, it is just a little cat nap here or there. And you want to be held a ton. It is a little stressful sometimes, because I have lots to do around the house and with your big brother. But I know this too shall pass, and I need to take in all your sweet, chubby, "babyness" while I can.
*You think it is so funny when I squeeze your cheeks. I can always get a smile that way.
*Your big brother is head over heals in love with you. You light up when he talks to you. I can already see your friendship and love for each other blossoming. What a blessing!
*You love to eat. You start smacking when we sit down in the rocker that you usually nurse in.
*You HATE to have a wet or dirty diaper. I cannot blame you.
*We just love you to pieces. Our little family of four has really seemed to just settle in so easily. What a precious little man you are!
Monday, March 16, 2009
To my sons
Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life.
-Maureen Hawkins
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life.
-Maureen Hawkins
(Jackson at 3 months)
(Ace at 2 months)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
WFMW: Breastfeeding Tips!!!
Since I have a newborn, half of my day is spent with a little boy attached to me. Breastfeeding is what I do, thus it is what I write. I had such a hard time with breastfeeding my firstborn, but with a lot of great advice and hard work, my new baby and I are successfully breastfeeding! Here are a few tips that have really helped me out the past few weeks!
SARAH'S BREASTFEEDING 101
-My sister clued me in on this little tip! Eat oatmeal, simple as that. I eat a bowl of old fashioned oats every morning. I can tell that my milk supply is down a little when I don't eat the oatmeal. Apparently the oat grain is known as a galactagogue, which promotes lactation.
-This one is a little more difficult, but I try to pump after my son has finished eating. Of course this doesn't happen every time because, hello, I have a newborn to deal with. Pumping isn't the most convenient thing to do. But usually Ace falls asleep right after his first feeding and will allow me to lay him down. I also pump after my husband gets home while he watches the kids. Of course this helps with production because you are emptying the breast, which stimulates more milk to be made.
-I have been taking herbal supplements that have helped my milk production tremendously. 3 times a day I take 3 tablets each of Milk Thistle & Fenugreek. It is a lot of pills, but I just take them at meal times. Again, I can tell a difference in my supply when I don't take the supplements. The lactation consultant advised me to take these and I have had no adverse effects at all. But of course, talk to your doctor before you take them.
-Chill out. For real, chill out. I had such a hard time breastfeeding my first son because I was so freaked out about everything. I eventually gave up and bottle fed him after about 4 weeks. I've learned with Ace that most issues with breastfeeding can be worked out. Talk to a lactation consultant, your doctor or midwife, or just a woman who has been successful with breastfeeding. Ace was in the NICU and was primarily bottle/ tube fed for the first 5 days of his life. Of course, he was used to a bottle by the time we got him home. But thank goodness, we stuck with it and now he is a champ at breastfeeding. I try not to sweat the small stuff when it comes to feeding my baby. Ace still gets about 2-3 formula bottles or expressed milk bottles a day. A lot of the women who are very stringent about breastfeeding would say this is a huge no-no. As long as my baby is healthy and happy, I'm doing my job.
-Stop being so danged modest! With my first born, I would never try to feed him in front of others in effort to not show my boobs to the steady stream of visitors we had for the first few weeks of his life. With Ace, I've just had to make myself get over it. If my baby is hungry, I'm the one who can feed him. If people don't want to see the girls, they can go to another room. Of course I try to be as modest as I can be, but I won't let it get in the way of feeding my little man.
-Drink water, water, and more water. And eat. You can't expect to make food if you're not taking it in!
I hope these few tips help out with anyone who is venturing into the wonderful world of breastfeeding. It has NOT been easy. But it is so worth it! Check out other WFMW tips at www.wearethatfamily.com!
-This one is a little more difficult, but I try to pump after my son has finished eating. Of course this doesn't happen every time because, hello, I have a newborn to deal with. Pumping isn't the most convenient thing to do. But usually Ace falls asleep right after his first feeding and will allow me to lay him down. I also pump after my husband gets home while he watches the kids. Of course this helps with production because you are emptying the breast, which stimulates more milk to be made.
-I have been taking herbal supplements that have helped my milk production tremendously. 3 times a day I take 3 tablets each of Milk Thistle & Fenugreek. It is a lot of pills, but I just take them at meal times. Again, I can tell a difference in my supply when I don't take the supplements. The lactation consultant advised me to take these and I have had no adverse effects at all. But of course, talk to your doctor before you take them.
-Chill out. For real, chill out. I had such a hard time breastfeeding my first son because I was so freaked out about everything. I eventually gave up and bottle fed him after about 4 weeks. I've learned with Ace that most issues with breastfeeding can be worked out. Talk to a lactation consultant, your doctor or midwife, or just a woman who has been successful with breastfeeding. Ace was in the NICU and was primarily bottle/ tube fed for the first 5 days of his life. Of course, he was used to a bottle by the time we got him home. But thank goodness, we stuck with it and now he is a champ at breastfeeding. I try not to sweat the small stuff when it comes to feeding my baby. Ace still gets about 2-3 formula bottles or expressed milk bottles a day. A lot of the women who are very stringent about breastfeeding would say this is a huge no-no. As long as my baby is healthy and happy, I'm doing my job.
-Stop being so danged modest! With my first born, I would never try to feed him in front of others in effort to not show my boobs to the steady stream of visitors we had for the first few weeks of his life. With Ace, I've just had to make myself get over it. If my baby is hungry, I'm the one who can feed him. If people don't want to see the girls, they can go to another room. Of course I try to be as modest as I can be, but I won't let it get in the way of feeding my little man.
-Drink water, water, and more water. And eat. You can't expect to make food if you're not taking it in!
I hope these few tips help out with anyone who is venturing into the wonderful world of breastfeeding. It has NOT been easy. But it is so worth it! Check out other WFMW tips at www.wearethatfamily.com!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Oh yeah, I have this thing called a blog.
Ye Old Blog needs a little dusting off. Any readers left out there? Not that there were that many to start with, but anywho.
So... what's new with y'all?
Me? Oh I've just birthed a new human into this world. Not much.
For real guys, life has happened and this blog has been knocked way down on the priority list. I've missed my little interweb community though. And I'm going to try to get back in a little at a time. I think I can handle one to two short little posts a week. So, to start off, I'm going to try to get y'all up to speed on what has been going on around our home. Please note that the following are in chronological order.
-I was laid off from my little part time job in October. Although it was a scary time, it has worked out really beautifully for my family. Being home is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.
-Jackson turned 3 in November. 3 stinking years old. Where has my baby gone? 3 is proving to be an interesting age. Jackson is fun, smart, sensitive, playful, kind, and helpful. His cognitive/ motor skills are simply amazing. But 3 is quite the sassy age as well! I sometimes think Jackson is 3 going on 13. But he is such a joy. Here he is at his school birthday party. Precious!
-December was a great month. We had such a wonderful Christmas. It was so fun and laid back. Exactly what this girl needed. We took it all in, knowing it would be our last Christmas as a family of three.
-Our New Year's celebration was relatively laid back. We went out to eat at the Kani House with some of our dear friends and then came back home for dessert and fireworks. My pregnant self was in bed by 10pm. But fun was had by all. Here is Jack all bundled up to watch the firework show.
-Of course, January held a pretty big event for us. Our sweet Bennett "Ace" was born on January 22. The condensed birth story is as follows:
I went in for my week 39 appointment suspecting that my water was leaking. My midwife checked me and told me I was 4cm dilated, but no, my water was not leaking. She stripped my membranes, telling me that labor was soon. She thought I would be back at the hospital within hours to have the baby. My mom and I went to the mall to walk and try get some contractions started. No dice. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I went to bed that night. I know it wasn't going to happen, but I just felt like I was going to be pregnant forever! The next morning I woke up and decided to go walk some more with Kyle. While we were at the mall, I just started feeling lousy. I was freezing cold, and just had zero energy. We came home and I tried to get some rest. I took my temperature and had a very low grade fever. I called the midwives office and they told me to come in and they would get me checked out. I saw a different midwife an d she decided that yes, my water was acutally leaking and that I needed to get to the hospital ASAP so they could start IV antibiotics and get my labor started. Even though I felt horrible, I was so glad that our baby was on his way. The entire labor I had a high fever and my bloodpressure was dangerously low. I recently read on another blog that you have to walk very close to death to bring a new baby into this world, and I think that is so true. Even though there were issues during labor, it was relatively easy. I had my epidural at around 7 centimeters, and pushed for about 45 minutes and Mr. Bennett "Ace" Van Nus arrived on January 22 at 1:29 in the morning. He was beautiful and a very healthy 8lbs 15.5oz.
Ace was put on antibiotics shortly after birth to try to prevent infection, since I was feverish when he was born. Unfortunately, he did get an infection that caused him to be in the NICU for several days. His breathing was very rapid and shallow, so they wanted to watch him very closely.They determined his infection stemmed from my water leaking for a long period of time before he was born. But finally, after 5 days, we were able to bring our little man home. God was so faithful to us during this time, and poured His grace and love out on us. I truly do feel we are divinely favored.
-February... was I around in February? It really does just seem like a huge fog. We were all adjusting to our new life and to the lack of sleep. February pretty much consisted of: breastfeeding, some doctor's appointments, laundry, breastfeeding, burping, afternoon naps... you get the point. Here's some sweet pictures from that crazy month!
(end photo taken by Heartstrings Photography. So gorgeous!!!)
-March has been wonderful so far. I hope I don't jinx myself by saying this, but we finally seem to be falling into our new pattern of life. Ace is sleeping very long stretches at night. He eats on a schedule. And he is taking a great morning and afternoon nap every day. Generally, he is a very happy baby. Jackson is an AMAZING big brother. He helps me with anything he can, and he adores his little brother. I have seen no real signs of jealousy at all.
So, stick with me here. I have some new pictures to upload from my camera, so you should be seeing them very soon. I hope you are all doing well!!!
So... what's new with y'all?
Me? Oh I've just birthed a new human into this world. Not much.
For real guys, life has happened and this blog has been knocked way down on the priority list. I've missed my little interweb community though. And I'm going to try to get back in a little at a time. I think I can handle one to two short little posts a week. So, to start off, I'm going to try to get y'all up to speed on what has been going on around our home. Please note that the following are in chronological order.
-I was laid off from my little part time job in October. Although it was a scary time, it has worked out really beautifully for my family. Being home is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.
-Jackson turned 3 in November. 3 stinking years old. Where has my baby gone? 3 is proving to be an interesting age. Jackson is fun, smart, sensitive, playful, kind, and helpful. His cognitive/ motor skills are simply amazing. But 3 is quite the sassy age as well! I sometimes think Jackson is 3 going on 13. But he is such a joy. Here he is at his school birthday party. Precious!
-December was a great month. We had such a wonderful Christmas. It was so fun and laid back. Exactly what this girl needed. We took it all in, knowing it would be our last Christmas as a family of three.
-Our New Year's celebration was relatively laid back. We went out to eat at the Kani House with some of our dear friends and then came back home for dessert and fireworks. My pregnant self was in bed by 10pm. But fun was had by all. Here is Jack all bundled up to watch the firework show.
-Of course, January held a pretty big event for us. Our sweet Bennett "Ace" was born on January 22. The condensed birth story is as follows:I went in for my week 39 appointment suspecting that my water was leaking. My midwife checked me and told me I was 4cm dilated, but no, my water was not leaking. She stripped my membranes, telling me that labor was soon. She thought I would be back at the hospital within hours to have the baby. My mom and I went to the mall to walk and try get some contractions started. No dice. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I went to bed that night. I know it wasn't going to happen, but I just felt like I was going to be pregnant forever! The next morning I woke up and decided to go walk some more with Kyle. While we were at the mall, I just started feeling lousy. I was freezing cold, and just had zero energy. We came home and I tried to get some rest. I took my temperature and had a very low grade fever. I called the midwives office and they told me to come in and they would get me checked out. I saw a different midwife an d she decided that yes, my water was acutally leaking and that I needed to get to the hospital ASAP so they could start IV antibiotics and get my labor started. Even though I felt horrible, I was so glad that our baby was on his way. The entire labor I had a high fever and my bloodpressure was dangerously low. I recently read on another blog that you have to walk very close to death to bring a new baby into this world, and I think that is so true. Even though there were issues during labor, it was relatively easy. I had my epidural at around 7 centimeters, and pushed for about 45 minutes and Mr. Bennett "Ace" Van Nus arrived on January 22 at 1:29 in the morning. He was beautiful and a very healthy 8lbs 15.5oz.
Ace was put on antibiotics shortly after birth to try to prevent infection, since I was feverish when he was born. Unfortunately, he did get an infection that caused him to be in the NICU for several days. His breathing was very rapid and shallow, so they wanted to watch him very closely.They determined his infection stemmed from my water leaking for a long period of time before he was born. But finally, after 5 days, we were able to bring our little man home. God was so faithful to us during this time, and poured His grace and love out on us. I truly do feel we are divinely favored.
-February... was I around in February? It really does just seem like a huge fog. We were all adjusting to our new life and to the lack of sleep. February pretty much consisted of: breastfeeding, some doctor's appointments, laundry, breastfeeding, burping, afternoon naps... you get the point. Here's some sweet pictures from that crazy month!
(end photo taken by Heartstrings Photography. So gorgeous!!!)-March has been wonderful so far. I hope I don't jinx myself by saying this, but we finally seem to be falling into our new pattern of life. Ace is sleeping very long stretches at night. He eats on a schedule. And he is taking a great morning and afternoon nap every day. Generally, he is a very happy baby. Jackson is an AMAZING big brother. He helps me with anything he can, and he adores his little brother. I have seen no real signs of jealousy at all.
So, stick with me here. I have some new pictures to upload from my camera, so you should be seeing them very soon. I hope you are all doing well!!!
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