God is good!

I am sure many Mom's can relate to the stress and sleep deprivation that comes with the first couple of weeks your baby is home. For me this was amplified by Reagan catching RSV when she was three weeks old. There was one night in particular I was beyond exhausted and I had been pacing the house making that all too recognizable mommy "rock and walk" movement and my poor lil Reagy-roo was still a soggy sad mess. I prayed and prayed for energy to stay up with her because my body felt so heavy and my eyes kept trying to shut. My milk was depleted because she had nursed me dry, so I was just trying to buy us some time for the milk to build back up a bit. Joe was sleeping soundly in the bedroom with no later recollection that any of this had taken place (lucky fella). Finally I felt like I had enough to nurse her even for just a few minutes and I was praying it would be enough to send her off to dreamland. I went back into the bedroom, it was totally dark with just a glow from the bathroom light we leave on so I can nurse in the dark. I sat in bed and let Reagan start to eat, and as I did her eyes started to close and her crying stopped. I was so relieved. About 15 minutes later she was well on her way to dreamland and she started too smile in her sleep. Then out of her tiny little rosebud lips came the best sound I had ever heard.... HER FIRST GIGGLE! My heart soared! I looked up at the ceiling and said "Thank you Jesus, that is just what I needed to get me through this tough night".  Knowing that my sacrifice of sleep was creating a healthy, well fed, and happy baby made it all worth it!

Isn't that just like God though? Sometimes the tests in front of us seem so heavy. We feel worn out, hopeless, and like nothing we are doing is working. We try and try and just when you think its never going to end, God steps in and reminds you He is watching. He see's it all! The sleepless nights, be it a baby, a job, or a relationship that is stealing your sleep. He knows exactly what we need, when we need it. As I was being refined in the "fire" that night I couldn't have thought of a better gift to receive, those of you who know me know that I am a very happy person and I laugh alot. Sharing my daughters first giggle is a memory I will never forget, and shouldn't.... those little blessings from heaven may not come often but our Heavenly Father really knows how to melt our hearts when they do.

In a pot or in a shoe, is that poo?

    Funny motherly moment I have to share with other mothers, because you are the only ones who can relate. Yesterday was one of those days when I had to change about 7-8 poopy diapers. Reagan got poo on her feet at church while I was changing her, because in her flexible acrobatic way she kicked her foot right into the dirty diaper as I was removing it from her bottom. She went through 2 outfits before lunch time, and I had to borrow wipes from my mom because we ran out of the ones in the diaper bag. On the way home from my Mom & Dads I was sitting in the backseat of the car with Reagan while Joe was driving. Reagan and I were singing songs and she was playing with her toys. As we drove into the suns rays, I noticed a small yellow dot on her forehead. My first assumption was that I had gotten some mustard on her head while eating lunch one handed with her in my arms. I licked it off her forehead, and then my mind went a totally different direction and I laughed to myself and said "I sure hope that was mustard I just licked off your head and not poo?!?!"

    From the front of the car I hear a roaring deep laugh come from my husbands mouth and the car swerves. Its very rare that I hear my husband laugh this hard, and in typical boy fashion, of course he was laughing about poo! I have to admit it was pretty funny, and definitely not a sentence I ever thought I would speak!  Oh the joys of being a mommy :-) I am pretty sure it was mustard.

Shots are the pits

 

    Look at that pitiful little lower lip..... my baby girl has mastered the art of melting mommy's heart.  Today Reagan is 2 months old, and part of the two month check up is to get shots! On the menu for todays vaccinations were 3 cocktails of 6 different vaccines. You know when the nurse says "I am sorry little one, I know this ones gonna hurt." that its gonna be bad; but then when you see all the way down your babys throat because their mouth is open so wide, it makes you tear up a bit. To make things worse, the nurse instructs you, the first time mommy, to hold down babies arms and legs while she is administering the shot. So now not only am I guilty for bringing her to the Dr. but I am an accomplice in the horrible act. I was surprised she let me pick her up afterwards, poor thing. 

I had to cling to verses and promises from God in my head, like this one: Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Because its much easier to go to a Dr appointment when you know you are the one getting shots, or exams. But when you have to put your baby through something like that it sure tugs on your heart strings a little bit. God is good, and so far Reagan is holding up pretty well, sore YES, Fussy... yes, but consolable. She is resting well in her swing right now, and I am so thankful! I am so blessed by both God and my husband because I am able to be a stay at home mom! On days like today if I was still teaching Reagan would have to be in daycare letting someone else console her. I am amazingly lucky to have a cozy home to snuggle with my baby in and hold her when she is feeling sad. I love being able to comfort her, and that I never miss out on anything she does. We sure have alot of quality time together! From the time she wakes up to the time she goes to bed she is a blessing to me! Even on days like today when she is under the weather, I cherish every minute! I know today is precious because Reagan will never again be the age she is today. Here's to praying I have many more days of  strength in the future.... 4 month shots are going to be here before I know it. 

Time to feed a stirring baby...... till next blog,
Be Blessed ya'll

Valentine for my Valentine

Today's post is selflessly devoted to the man who makes my stay at home mommy life possible.

The man who wakes up at 4am to do school work, so that he has time in the evenings to spend with his girls. 


The man who faces a job that beats him down daily...because it gives us roof over our heads. 


He rarely gets the praise he deserves, because most of the things he does are done when Reagan and I go to bed, or before we get up in the morning. 


He wears his heart on his sleeve despite his tough army facade and melts a little more every time his baby girl smiles. 


He pursues God's path on total faith, despite the lack recompense. 


He juggles a career, a family, and a divinity degree and is disciplined enough to make all three exist smoothly in the same household. 


This man is not only my partner in life, he is my best friend, my confidant, my anchor in Christ, my snuggle buddy, and my protector. I couldn't ask for a better husband.


Dear Valentine of mine, 

You make being married to you feel so easy! You make my life fun, and my days a little brighter. You make me laugh, and you bring out my smile. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your love! Thank you for loving God first, and us second. Thank you for making me a mommy. Thank you for being you!
 Here's to 60+ more Valentines to come! 

Pick First, Think Later

How many of you were told as children "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends nose?". This was a rhyme my father used to tell me as a child, so if you have not heard it than I feel sorry for your obviously deprived childhood.... jk! So to get to the point of this outrageous childhood rhyme; as I was sitting in church last night pulling a booger out of my childs' nose I couldn't help but think of this rhyme in my head and laugh. Does it count as a "friends nose" if its your child? Or, because you are half their DNA is their nose considered yours? Catching myself pondering this in the dim light of a church pew at 5:00 in the evening, I then let my brain jump to another question; how many other odd rhymes and sayings do I know from my childhood? Are these little pearls of  "parental wisdom" embedded in our brains from childhood useful?

Here is a short list of some of the "pearls" I remember:
* "Bailey, Bailey if you're able, keep your elbows off the table"

*"Children should be seen and not heard" - the two above came from my Mimi, she was grooming me to be an aristocratic brat in my opinion. LOL

* The infamous "No more monkeys jumping on the bed"

* "If you hold your face like that for too long, it will stick that way"

* "Don't swallow your gum, it will stick in your stomach for 7 years!"

* "Eating watermelon seeds will make you grow one in your belly"

* "Eat your crust, it will make your hair curly"

* "Eat your mustard, it will make your boobs grow" - Yes My Mother really said it, and who's to say it didn't work? :)

* " No, I can't always see what you are doing, but God see's everything" -this one made me cautious about going potty

There are many many more, but these were the first that came to mind. No, they are not all true. But being a parent now  I see why these "pearls" are passed on. Doing things "Because I said so" gets old to children. If they think there is a legitimate reason for them to do, or not do something its more likely that they will follow through. I like the term "pearls" to describe them, because they are just that; a round precious creation buried deep into the mush of our minds until a situation arises where it needs to be cracked open. Everyone's pearls will be different, and they will reflect the culture and family values that they came from. It really is a beautiful thing if you think about it.

Here comes the scary part.... I'm a mom now, and this means that planting these "pearls" now falls on me. What bits of knowledge and problem solving do I want to embed in my child? What do I think would be of use to her in the future? Of course it is important to learn not to jump on a bed, to brush your teeth, to share, to not pick your nose in public. But there are a slew of other "pearls" I want to plant too. I want her to know that she is a perfectly imperfect creation of the Most High. That above all things, she is greatly loved! I want her to be brave, comfortable with who she is, and proud of what she believes. I feel blessed to have the responsibility that comes with being Reagans' Mom. It is a privilege and best of all.... a gift! I have a feeling we will share many "pearls" with her, God willing they stick.

Feel free to share any of your fun childhood "pearls" with me. I would love to hear them!
Until next time...
Be Blessed!
 

Snow and Cold Weather... GREAT reason to cook!

Tonights Menu- 

Home-made Gnocchi with a roasted red pepper and tomato sauce.

Whats that? Want the recipe? Too easy! 

3	large Russett potatoes (if you want to use fingerling or red potatoes use 6 or 7)
2	large egg yolks, beaten
1	cups all purpose flour (may not use all)
1/2	teaspoon fine sea salt
sprinkle of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prick potatoes and bake until done, 45 minutes to one hour. Remove from oven, and slash lengthwise through each potato, pressing short ends to open to release steam (you want the potatoes as dry as possible = less gummy gnocchi). When cooled enough to handle but still quite warm, scoop out the potato flesh and force through a ricer. Measure out 3 lightly scooped cups (do not pack) and spread out into a rectangle on a clean board or counter. Allow potatoes to cool until warm room temperature.
2. Sprinkle with salt and grate over nutmeg. Drizzle the egg over potatoes, followed by 1/2 cup of flour. With a (metal) bench scraper, begin to lift and fold the potato mixture on to itself, cutting the flour and egg into the potato mixture. When almost incorporated (mixture will begin crumbling), sprinkle over another 1/4 cup flour , and repeat until mixture is in small crumbs. Lightly press the dough together into a ball and move it aside. Clean any sticky dough from counter with the scraper and cover with a light dusting of flour.
3. On the floured surface, lightly press the dough together and fold/knead just a few turns -- dough should be workable with some potato texture and not sticky. Adjust by adding more flour if necessary -- the less flour and handling needed, the more tender the resulting gnocchi.
4. Cut the dough into quarters. On a lightly floured board, roll one portion of dough into a long rope, about 1/2" wide. With the bench scraper, cut 1" pieces of dough from rope and place on a floured sheet pan -- these are your gnocchi.
5. Cook gnocchi at a gentle boil in a large pot of abundant salted water. Gnocchi are done when they bob to the surface and cook about a minute longer. Scoop from water and place in sauce.

For the sauce, 

2cans of Hunts Fire Roasted tomatoes and peppers 1clove of garlic (crushed )1/2onion finely chopped  1/3 cup red wine



1. Combine the above ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes, then reduce heat and let it simmer. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Optional: add basil, oregano, and or thyme

Pour over Gnocchi and gently fold the two together.... sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan and ENJOY!

Snow Day Canceled

John Lennon once said "Life happens when we are making plans.". Never have I seen this be more true than in Army wife life. Rule number one, in the imaginary rule book no one gives you when you marry a soldier... NEVER believe it till it happens. This rule applies to moves, promotions, titles, deployments, and of course... magical days off. Now, the rest of Fort Bliss still has the day off! My husband was the unlucky soul who got a text at 10:55 last night telling him to be in at 9 along with one staff member. RATS!

You know I really believe that because Military life works so differently than the Civilian world, that they should issue us a "guidelines for surviving" book! If I were to make my own Military Wife Guidelines they would probably look something like this;
1. As stated above NEVER believe it till it happens.

2. The comissary is a-kin to a third world country flea market on payday and the weekend following. As my friend Nathalie says... during this time it is the comiSCARY not the comissary.

3. Make sure you own at least one conservative but flattering little black dress (this comes in handy at dinner parties hosted by the chain of commands' wives, luncheons... when paired with a pretty cardigan, and other gatherings)

4. If you are blessed enough to have an FRG that functions well, and acts as the support group it is intended to be than please participate in it. HOWEVER, in the more common than it should be case that your FRG has become a drama-llama percolator feel free to make your own support group. Chances are there is at least one other wife feeling what you feel within the unit, join ranks, have coffee, or dinner.... the point of an FRG is to have a safe place to talk, vent, and share military life highs and lows. So, if that means making your own little group to get that support, so be it!

5. Always kiss your husband like its the first time, and the last time! Military life is, at its best, very unpredictable. Here today, deployed tomorrow is a phrase I hear coined by many of my peers. I myself have waited through 4 OCONUS deployments to Iraq and 1 year long CONUS one. (For newbies or non-military OCONUS- outside continental US, CONUS- continental US) So you never know when they will get orders to be in the field for a month, or to head up a JRTC training and be in another state for 6 weeks. Or I have even known couples who got a two week notice for deployment.

6. TIME is precious- Until you wait through a deployment you will never really understand this. Every lazy Saturday, every meal you eat as a family, even the crappy days are still days you get to go to bed next to one another. Enjoy your TIME, do things you wouldn't normally do... travel, check out museums, try new restaurants, explore with your partner and breathe in every moment.

7. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and make friends. You will learn quickly that the Army (or any military branch) is a small community. Chances are you will see the same sets of couples and people throughout your military career. Some of my greatest friendships are ones with people who I knew for a short time before we moved away but we have kept in close contact through emails, facebook, and phone. Some rotate back to the post you are at, and in other cases when you are looking at your next duty station assignment it will be a blessing to you to know people there already! "Oh so and so is stationed there I think" , one email or call later and you have an "inside man" who can give you the in's and out's of your new town!

Thats it, my semi-magical 7 tips for military spouses.... maybe I should print this officially and start passing it out at weddings? :)

Be blessed!