Random Stuff

Noah's making daily progress with the potty training...just look at all the stickers and prizes he has racked up!

I met a man today (our new Cook's Pest Control guy) who was adopted at age 8. We had a lengthy and very encouraging conversation about it, and about parenting, and scripture. I also met a woman this week (my foot dr's nurse) who adopted her son when he was 11. I thoroughly enjoy meeting people and hearing their adoption stories.

We got our tax return already. WooHoo!

I heard a specific word today in 3 songs in a row...and I think it is such a pretty word. So until further notice, it is my new favorite word: Dreamer.

Noah is going to fly to FL with Josh to visit with his family in about a week. While he is there he is going to get to see Tania, his birthmother, again. He last saw her when he was 18 mos. old. I am so excited about this upcoming visit and it is KILLING me to not get to go with them. They are also going to meet Tania's mom for the first time, and for those of you who know Noah's adoption story, you know why that is kind of a big deal to us. Can't wait to see and share the pics!

Ohhh man. You might as well know - I am turning 30 soon. In the words of a guy from a sitcom I love, "Why, God, why?!"

Did I mention that the church we are going to so far has about 6400 people in attendance? Big. BIG. But I have been encouraged after meeting several couples in the Connect Group we have been to twice so far on Sunday mornings. Connect groups are their small groups on Sunday mornings, but again, I would have to point out that they are anything but small. Unless of course you think 40 or so constitutes a small group. Which I don't. Moving on though...I have also been encouraged by the time I have spent at my Tuesday morning bible study and some of the women I have met. So those are good signs.

I have not had good Mexican food since I left Alabama. That makes for about a 6 mos. hiatus and I just can't take it anymore! So we hunted down a good mexican restaurant in our area. Its take out menu is sitting in front of me right now and making my stomach growl.

It sure is windy here in the Nashville area. A lot of the time.

Also, the drive to church is so beautiful. Pastures of horses, open fields, beautiful homes with lots of land, pretty fences, established trees, rolling hills, no signs, lights, or stops. I even pass llamas and miniature horses. So pretty. I have to discipline myself to not get jealous.

I am enjoying reading Redeeming Love but I swear I have read it before. That can't be possible, but it so feels like it. Weird.

This Esther study I am doing is great. I recommend it.

And for no reason whatsoever....the feet of my three people.

Little Moments Like That

I recently downloaded this song by Brad Paisley.

Little Moments Like That
Well I'll never forget the first time that I heard
That pretty mouth say that dirty word
And I can't even remember now, what she backed my truck into
But she covered her mouth and her face got red and she just looked so darn cute
That I couldn't even act like I was mad-
Yeah I live for little moments like that

That's like just last year on my birthday
She lost all track of time and burnt the cake
And every smoke detector in the house was going off
She was just about the cry
Until I took her in my arms
And I tried not to let her see me laugh-
Yeah I live for little moments like that

I know she's not perfect, but she tries so hard for me
And I thank God that she isn't
Cause how boring would that be?
It's the little imperfections, it's the sudden change in plans
When she misreads the directions and we're lost
But holding hands-
Yeah I live for little moments like that

When she's laying on my shoulder, on the sofa, in the dark
And about the time she falls asleep, so does my right arm
And I want so bad to move it, cause its tingling and its numb
But she looks so much like an angel,
That I don't wanna wake her up-
Yeah I live for little moments-
When she steals my heart again and doesn't even know it-
Yeah I live for little moments like that

I really enjoy this song's message...sweet and humorous all at the same time. So I concocted my own list of moments I live for as it pertains to Noah and Anna.

I Live for Little Moments Like This...

Noah's foot bobbing as he sits beside me watching his shows
Noah kissing me on the nose after he bonks me on the nose
Noah laying still for me to tickle his back
Anna's smile when she recognizes me in the morning
Noah just laying a big hug on me...just because
Noah wrapping his skinny arms/legs around me when I carry him
Watching Anna eat and sleep at the same time in my arms
Kissing Anna's porcelain white cheeks
That moment when Anna is soothed from crying when I pick her up
Noah playing with my hair when I carry him
When Noah stops what he is doing/playing to come kiss Anna
Watching Anna sleep
Watching Noah at school when he doesn't know I'm there
Seeing how excited Noah is to see Anna in the morning
Watching Josh and Noah hug
Listening to Josh read to Noah at bedtime over the monitor
Listening to Josh pray with Noah at bedtime over the monitor
Listening to Noah pray
When Noah reminds us to pray at dinner
When Noah gets mad b/c he doesn't want me laughing at him
The look on Noah's face after he falls down...his not knowing whether or not to get upset
The rectangle shape Noah's mouth makes when he bawls
Noah attempting (and botching) new word pronunciations
How Noah tells me ahead of time which monster trucks lose their tires or catch on fire

Trashy

Oooooh, trashy....harsh word, no? I bet you saw that title and wondered to WHAT I would attribute such an offensive adjective. Well, sadly, it refers to a little task I had to do today in the ladies' bathroom at church during bible study.

I drank a leeeetle too much Vanilla Coke, headed to the ladies room, and after washing my hands, I dried them. As luck would have it (didn't I say before how my life's curse was dropping anything and everything that can possibly be dropped), my wedding ring came off with the paper towel I dried my hands with and before I could stop myself, the paper towel (ring included) was in the trash can.

So yours truly had to stop, take off the trash can lid, and proceed to empty its contents right down to the wet, nasty bottom where my ring had sunk. Gross.

Needless to say I had to wash my hands again.

And dry them with a little more caution.

Sittin' Pretty

If you position her legs just right, and lean her forward on her hands like an ape, she can sit up on her own strength and balance for about half a minute already. So fun....to me at least. :)

Name Game

This was a particular vocal victory because he finally said his name with an N instead of a W. That means Noah instead of Woah. Also...he said his last name....which before now I can't say he even knew existed...except that we say it when we are using a more firm tone with him, so it couldn't have been that foreign to him. :)

Annabit at 5 months

Well, almost 5 months anyway...

Giggles at kissy sounds, buzzy sounds, laughing sounds, and men

Lasts about 10-15 minutes in the exersaucer

Thinks Noah is quite entertaining

Is chewing on anything that will fit in her mouth and some things that don't

Reminds me of Snow White with her white skin, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks

Has such a muffled, rusty sounding cry

Has started making her first sounds: mmmmm and bbbbbb

Will roll over almost the second you lay her on her back...and then cries b/c she doesn't like it on her belly

Weighs 13 lbs. and 8 oz. now

Can almost sit up...for a few seconds...with a little help

Tried her first juice (pear - and only at room temperature) and first solid food this week (rice cereal with prunes)

Still not much of a drooler

Is most content when her daddy carries her around like this

Does not pull to a sitting position...only ever lets you pull her up to a standing position

In a 12 hour night will get up 1-2 times to eat... we are working her down to 1 feeding slowly but surely

Loves these three of her toys the most

Still Marching

I say still Marching because I am STILL reading the same book that I have been reading for about a month already. It is called March and it is good, but not so compelling that I can't put it down - which in turn leads to several days going by at a time before I bother to pick it up again. But like I said - it's still good. Good enough to finish. And it is certainly the most challenging read I have read in oh, several years, now. For anyone who is curious...it is about the absent father's perspective and life events from the classic Little Women. And it won a Pulitzer Prize in 2006. Not too shabby.

Anyway...I am looking forward to finishing it eventually so I can get to some other books I have in the cue. (btw - I sure do miss that Unclaimed Baggage store in Alabama. I used to keep myself stocked, stocked, stocked with good books that were a steal of a deal from there.) Here is my list of books, sitting on my shelf, beckoning me to come read them:

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (recommended by Emily...and Heather too a long time back)
The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee (recommended by Mas)
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult (recommended by my mom)
World Without End by Ken Follett (recommended by my mom)
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore (recommended by Amy)
Potter Springs by Britta Coleman (recommended by Amy)
The Dark Queen by Susan Carol
A Call to Die by David Nassar

Anna's Valentine

Anna's valentine for her daddy was embarrassingly easy to make, but no less cute.


I use the term "make" loosely...we neither made the onesie nor the iron-on decal...we only followed the step by step instructions. Translation: We ironed it on. Well, I ironed it on anyway. Anna just sported her look to church today. :)

And before I left Hobby Lobby, I made the plan to come back for Anna's first birthday for another adorably cute iron-on decal. It said, "Miss September," and it was all glitter and sparkle. Adorable. There was one for each month of the year. Translation: Emily, I am going to make one for Natalie's first birthday, too. :)

Hobby Lobby is so empowering.

My Valentine

It is far too easy to not give credit where credit is due on a daily basis. Shame on me for never getting around to a blog post I wanted to do several months ago dedicated to Josh. I was going to call it "Homage to Josh" and I was going to name all the things about him that I love, that I appreciate, that make me feel better when I am down, and just generally make me happy. He is a good man and a good daddy. I think the world of my husband and I want to take this Valentine's Day to say so. My husband, my valentine, is a blessing to me.

Some ways Josh blesses me:

He lets me have the last piece/bite of food if I want it

He gives me massages when I ask, but usually lets me off the hook for returning the massage

He takes Noah when he runs errands so I can have a little break

He cooks if I don't and never once has gotten mad at me for not

He encourages me to go out by myself more often while he keeps the kids

He is so, so, so handy and can fix just about everything we need fixed

He gets up with Anna at night just as much as I do

He calls a lot when he is out of town

He brings me little surprises when he gets home from trips or errands

He will make phone calls for me because I get too freaked out to do them myself

He is so very selfless...I feel like he puts me before himself all the time

He says he prefers me without make-up on (although, I still can't tell if that is an insult to the way I put on make-up or not)

He listens to my teeny, tiny daily details when I retell them and he cares (and if he doesn't, I at least feel like he does)

He cleans the bathrooms when they need it

He loves our babies

He changes diapers, dresses, bathes, holds, feeds, and plays with our babies

He does Noah's bedtime routine every single night he is home

He wears nose strips at night (so I can sleep better) even though he hates them

Once he stayed up all night with me because I was so upset about not being able to sleep

He doesn't hound me if I buy something he thinks we didn't need

He is genuinely helpful with anything he can help with...he never complains

If we both have something to watch on TV at the same time, he lets me watch mine and he records his for later

He has made my love and desire to grow our family by adoption his own love and desire

He was my savior during those early days (and especially nights) with Anna and all her crying

He listens to me, considers me, and encourages me

He likes my company

He plans his trips out of town for days when Noah has school so that I won't be so outnumbered or stressed

He will leave for a day trip at 3:00 in the morning to keep from having to be gone overnight the night before

He provides for this life that allows me to be home for our family

Confessions

I tend to wear pajamas all day if I am not going anywhere

I almost never answer the phone... I am a total phone-phobic

I get inordinately excited when Noah uses the potty

I really enjoy reality TV shows (my current vice is The Bachelor...I just can't seem to look away....and I really want to. I have tried several times.)

I STILL have not gone anywhere with just me and both kids

I hate giving massages, but love, love, love getting them

I drive too fast

I think Dory (from Finding Nemo) is huh-larious!

I get anxious when I pass people while I am driving - I am afraid they won't see me and might try to come into my lane

We don't ever make the bed unless company is coming over

I countdown the hours until Noah's naptime (Anna's, too)

I still struggle with resentment towards my parents

I think Anna is the prettiest baby I have ever seen (at least since Noah was a baby)

Don't hate me, but I think gays should be allowed to marry...it seems to me that it is (or should be) a civil right whether it is morally right or not

I miss teaching a little more every year

I do not eat enough vegetables...not by a long shot

I wish I personally knew Beth Moore and her daughter Amanda - I just love them

Embarrassing fact - I need to lose about 70 lbs. Wow.

V-Day Couch

Josh and my first big purchase after getting married was a couch and loveseat set. That was about 6 years ago. And today we traded up for a new and improved couch. Well technically we traded up a couple weeks ago and it was DELIVERED today, but you get my point. Anyway, the new couch is ever so soft and cozy and roomy. I am too excited that it is finally here. I guess you could call it our Valentine's Day gift to each other. :) (which, before you shake your head, is not all that abnormal of a gift - I knew a couple that got an engagement couch instead of an engagement ring when they got engaged, so there)


Funny toddler sidenote: I was also excited to see Noah's reaction to the new couch when he got up from his nap. Josh told Noah we had a surprise downstairs. Noah comes down, looks at the couch, looks underneath it and back up at us in an effort to say "So where is this surprise of which you speak?" Clearly, the couch didn't do it for him. Burst my bubble a little. That kid climbs all over the couch all day long and didn't even notice the change...or didn't care. Stinker. So we "surprised" him next with the goodies he brought home from his Valentine's Day party at school. And some bubbles. That did the trick.

LHBC

I went to a bible study today. Confession: I am going more so I can make some friends than I am about wanting to study right now. What works in my favor is that it is a Beth Moore study and I do so love Beth Moore and every drop of teaching she provides.

After being at the bible study I felt disappointed because it didn't seem like there were many girls in there my age or stage of life. Mostly a little older, or a lot older, or maybe not even married yet. I don't know. It is hard to know when all you do for the first session is watch a video.

There was another Kimberly Brown in the class though, so that in itself should make me giggle away the "I feel so alone" feeling I have lately. But the truth is that I do feel alone. I need some friends here.

We are going to try a Sunday School class on Sunday and it is our last prayer that we will make some connections in there. This church is so gigantic, we feel quite lost and insignificant. Y'all, huge. Just huge. Feels like going to church in a mall. Just the walk through the parking lot to get to the building is like heading into a theme park, it is so huge. They have shopping inside....shopping! Coffee Shop, Book Store, Christian clothing, etc. There is a COP with a GUN for SECURITY!!! That is how huge I am talking. And that is not counting the multiple police outside directing traffic before and after services.

I am really trying to have an open mind about this. The first Sunday I went, I said those very words to Josh. I was so overwhelmed by the crowd and the children's area and the size of the church, that while we waited for our nursery to open up for Anna, and I perused the stroller parking lot they have (yes, a designated stroller parking lot - and good Lord you need one just to survive the trek into the building), I said to Josh,

"I am trying to have an open mind about this, but this just is not going to work."

But the truth is, I am .... trying to have an open mind. For now, I am struggling to imagine calling it home. It doesn't feel like any church home I have ever known. But I guess that doesn't mean it couldn't.

We'll see.

This Little Piggy

Since these 70 degree days have come upon us, I have been tickled pink to wear flip-flops again. Anna also enjoys sporting bare feet, but for different reasons entirely.






And hey, toes need not even be bare sometimes...we find the terry cloth footies make for excellent teething surfaces.

Nickelodeon and Potty Books

Nickelodeon - Didn't that word originally mean the movies? I think it did. I could be wrong. I do like that word either way. And I just finished watching another movie. Here are the movies I have seen recently either at the theater or On Demand.

Appaloosa - good, but slow
He's Just Not That Into You - pretty apt insights into the way of it with guys/girls
The Dutchess - not as good as I thought it would be....dragged out
The Secret Life of Bees - I liked it better than the book.

I love movies. I love the little bit of escape they provide. It's kind of like a grown-up version of a little kid saying, "Tell me a story."

Speaking of stories, I got a new book for Noah and it is my (our) new favorite adoption book. It is called I Wished for You (an adoption story) by Marianne R. Richmond. I also got Noah a few more potty-themed books to infuse him with a little more interest in the subject matter. Take a look at our potty-book library so far:

It's Potty Time by Smart Kids Publishing
The Potty Book for boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
(new) The Potty Train by David Hochman
Potty Time With Elmo by publications international, ltd.
(new)Sesame Beginning Potty Time! by Parker K. Sawyer
(new) Caillou Potty Time by Jocelyn Sanschagrin
(new) A Potty for Me! by Karen Katz

Josh says no more potty books. He may be right. Add them to the two potty videos we have and the potty watch that inspired him for all of 45 minutes and the potty chart and the candy he gets for going in the potty and I think we are still coming up nil.
Whatever. He will care when he cares. And I will, too. :)

Author

I find scripture to be so poetic in so, so many places. Just looking at the Bible in just a literary sense, I am so impressed with God's written expression. And this is not surprising seeing as how God is, well, a writer, is he not? He is creative. He is communicative. He is the Word. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. So, for the fun of it, I have started saving some phrases and images that jump out to me as particularly "writerly" when I am reading through the Bible. These are some of my favorite well-written images and ideas (in my opinion, that is) from of late:

1 Peter 1:3 - live with a wonderful expectation

Heb. 12:22 - countless thousands of angels

Heb. 12:27 - only unshakable things will remain

1 Pet. 1:13 - exercise self-control

2 Pet. 3:8 - a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years are like a day

Mullet No More

Well, thank the Lord, Anna's mullet is gone! Gone, gone, gone. I have loved that baby girl while despising that dark patch of hair that adorned the backside of her head all these months. And then when we weren't looking, it just melted into oblivion leaving behind a much less noticeable bald spot. And I much prefer the bald spot.

In other Anna news:

She doesn't hate her car seat carrier. So I get to run a couple more errands than I could before. That's nice.

She is quite amused by her brother and really has begun to respond to him playing with her, dancing/stomping/clapping for her, and gently pushing her around in her jumper. This tends to afford me a few more free minutes a day. That's nice, too.

She also just started downing 6 oz. bottles at a time, and this after her first and only week of drinking 4 oz. bottles. It's like her appetite just woke up. Which should be a good sign because we swear that she is getting smaller. She did just make it over the 12 lb. mark. She is STILL in size one diapers!

Anna is also still needing to be swaddled to get to sleep and to stay asleep. We experimented with NOT, and well, that did NOT take. Swaddling it is!

And on the sleeping front, she is getting up just once in the night and then very early in the morning before going back to sleep. Not bad. Not ideal, but still, not bad.

Noah has deemed her "Tee Yute," which, for all you untrained ears, is "Cute." Her daddy and I agree.