Picky eaters.

Moms share their kids' most ridiculous eating habits.

This is so hilarious and so true. I laughed a lot while reading this. I dealt with a lot of picky eaters when I used to teach, and many of their excuses make no rational sense, hence the hilarity. Like the time one of my girls said she would not try the spaghetti because her mom makes twisty noodles, and these were not twisty.

Enjoy. I certainly did. :)

The long awaited graduation day!

Yesterday was Kley's graduation day! It was such a fun day celebrating. Both my family and his family were there, which was really special. It was fun to see Kley's sister, Elizabeth, who just got engaged last week!

It was so great to watch him walk through and get his diploma after all his hard work! (Technically, he still has finals until Thursday, so we will really be celebrating then!)

After the ceremony- my husband now has a JD degree!

Kley's family.

My family (minus Karlie, who is up at college- we missed you!).

Our own little family!

A sweet picture of Aunt Elizabeth I caught.

Kley said this was his favorite picture. One last time in front of the law school sign!

Congratulations Kley! Norah and I are so proud of you and thankful for all the hard work you have done! We love you!

Christmas walk and mommy thoughts.

Today started out a little rough, but ended well. Norah was up more than usual last night and wanting to feed more often, so I started the day extra tired. I am so thankful to have Norah here and to be able to serve her, but that doesn't mean I always have a joyful heart. I wish I did. Having a child is definitely a daily lesson in selflessness, because sometimes it's hard to get up in the night. Sometimes it's hard to have to not get done what you had planned because your child needs you. I struggle with that sometimes, because I like to be planned and organized. But, some days you don't get things done, and Norah's needs have to come first. 

Also, I was feeling discouraged with breastfeeding today. I am so incredibly thankful that it's gone smoothly and that Norah is eating successfully and growing well. I know there are some moms out there who desperately wish they could breastfeed, but can't for one reason or another. I am so grateful for this time, because breastfeeding your child is completely beautiful and an experience unlike any other. But, it's hard sometimes. It's really hard to be the only one that can feed her. Sometimes I selfishly wish other people could take a turn so I could have a short break. Even if I pump, it's not a break because I still have to pump in advance, and plan when I pump so I still have enough to feed her when she eats. And even if I pump a ton in advance to have a longer break, I am still making milk even if she isn't eating. 

I hope I don't come across as though I am complaining too much. I just felt overly tired this morning, which led to temporary heightened emotions. I love Norah so much and it's so amazing to be her mom. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But, that doesn't mean it's always easy. Sometimes parenting is difficult and hard. I was thinking about that today- about "good/bad" and "easy/hard." I don't want to say that any day is bad with her, because they are all good in a way, but some days are definitely easier and some are harder. Sometimes I feel like I am getting the hang of it and that we are getting into a good rhythm. Other days I feel overwhelmed and like I have no clue. I will probably feel like that forever! Thankfully, the days where I feel like I am getting it are coming much more often than in the beginning.

This afternoon Kley and I were able to get away for a bit, for the first time alone together away since she was born. Unfortunately, most of that time was spent at the dentist for our checkups. Yuck. Thankfully afterwards we were able to stop for ice cream and go for a walk. I am really thankful that we got that time today. I'm very thankful for a husband who listens to me and is really good at comforting and encouraging.

Tonight we also had a fun family dinner at home with chinese take out, and took a walk around the neighborhood to look at lights. It was really fun and so nice to spend time with my family. The day ended much better!

Keaton wanted to wear Norah in the carrier on the walk. :)

There's this one house near in the area that does a spectacular job each year. 

Gratefulness- a video.

Santiago gets a surprise tablet.

I saw this video this morning, and have watched it five times. This kid, Santiago, has an amazing heart of gratefulness/thankfulness that most kids don't. The video description says his name is Santiago, and he is a 10-year-old boy from Argentina. (The video is entirely in Spanish.)

His family doesn't have a lot of money, and his first present is a cutting board. He thanks his mom, gives her a hug, and says he cant wait to try cutting food on it. So precious.

Then he opens his second present, and it's a tablet. His parents saved up to buy it for him for a long time. His reaction is so amazing- he sobs, hugs his parents multiple times, and keeps thanking them over and over again.

If you are a crier, get your tissues.

Baby Items- Car Seat edition.

Hello! Since we have had Norah for a few weeks now, I thought it would be fun (and hopefully informational and helpful) to start blogging about the baby items we have used and loved/not so loved. I know lots of people do this, so there are plenty of lists out there, so take it or leave it. These are all our own opinions. 

I also thought it would be easier to break it down into sections, instead of making one giant list, so this first one is about car seats.

The car seat we have is the Britax Bob B-Safe Infant Car Seat in black. Honestly, I didn't research car seats much before we registered for one. There are so many out there and it felt overwhelming, because everyone has a different opinion. We chose this because the lady at Buy Buy Baby who was helping us said it was a good, popular, and safe one. 

We really like it. It's easy to use- it clicks into and out of the base easily, it's comfortable, and it's pretty easy to buckle. (You just have to make sure the straps are up at the right height- if you try to buckle her in when the straps aren't high up enough, it's very tight and it gets tangled. We have already had to move up the straps twice from the bottom level because Norah is growing so much!) The only complaints we have is we wish you could put the handle down with one hand (you have to use two- both on each side), and the sun shade sometimes pops out and has to be clipped in again. Overall, we would definitely recommend. 

Verdict: Yes!

                                         

Update: Norah is just 8 months now and we are still using this seat and love it. It's also fairly easy to take completely apart so you can wash the pieces. I didn't know you could do that at first, but it's so nice to wash all the pieces every so often. Also, the top straps have four levels, and the bottom has two, and Norah is at the biggest it can go, and has been for awhile. It still fits her well and works great. 

Boppy Infant Seat Handle Cushion- Kley thought this was an unnecessary purchase, but I'm glad I bought it. I like it because it doesn't make your arm hurt as much- why wouldn't you want extra padding? The only downside is that it doesn't slide over super easily, so when you are holding the car seat like the woman in the picture is, you have to adjust it a little bit. But, I think it's worth the $9.99.

Verdict: Yes.

                                      

Update: Still glad I bought this!

JJ Cole Reversible Strap Covers- We got these, and ended up returning them simply because we didn't need them. The car seat itself had padded straps. 

Verdict: No.

                                  

Brica Day and Nightlight Musical Mirror- This is just okay to us- get it if you want, but you don't need it. It's a neat idea (to be able to see your child from the rearview mirror), but it's really hard to adjust it correctly so you can actually see your baby. I've readjusted it several times, but it always moves when I hit a big bump or a sharp turn. It also has a nightlight and plays music.

Verdict: Maybe/no.

                                        

Update: It grew on me some as she got older, but it's still not a perfect product. For awhile, I had an umbrella stuffed back behind to help adjust it right. Now that Norah is even older, she can kick it with her feet, so it gets bumped a lot.

Summer Infant DuoMat Car Seat Mat- This is another take it or leave it item. I personally like it, just because I feel better having it there, but you don't have to have it. Technically, the police tell you not to have it because they don't crash test the car seats with them, but you won't get in trouble for having them. I like them.

Verdict: Yes.

                                 

Britax EZ-Cling Window Shades- I like having these because it blocks the sun from her eyes (at least from some angles).  They are easy to place on the window and stick well. Ours have never fallen off. I was told these are good to use because the ones that you can put up and down get stuck. 

Verdict: Yes.

                                        

Update: Still like them and still have never fallen off (at 14 months).

Britax B-Safe Infant Carrier Base- We got an extra carrier base, so we wouldn't have to switch them between our cars every time, and we would definitely recommend that. It's expensive, but definitely worth it if you can afford it. It's so nice to have a base in each of our cars, and saves a lot of time with not having to switch the bases. Then, we also don't have to worry about ever needing to use one of the cars and not having a base. 

Verdict: Yes, get one. (One comes with the car seat when you buy it, so this would be purchasing an extra one.)

                                       

Britax Head and Body Support Pillow- You don't need this, and you aren't supposed to have anything extra in the car seat with the baby. We got one to use in the stroller to help stabilize her in case we put her in it not in the car seat, but we never actually used it. 

Verdict: No.

JJ Cole Car Seat Cover- We would definitely recommend this. It keeps her warm and it's super easy to put on. It stays on well, also, although occasionally the flap blows open if it's really windy. I like that the head hole is bigger than some of the other ones, so it's not like she is too trapped in there. I also like that it zippers open, so you can zip it open when inside so they don't get too hot, and you don't have to remove the whole thing. Also, obviously, you would only need this if it's cold. It's nice because this only goes over the top of the car seat, so baby is still properly strapped in underneath. 

Verdict: Yes, get one!

                                    

Update: We used this all winter and into the spring. It was perfect and I will definitely use again for our next babies!

Britax Kick Mats- We have these, but aren't currently using them. These are to put on the back of the front seat, so once you begin using a front-facing car seat, the back of the seat is protected from their feet, or you could put it on the back seat once you begin using their next upright car seat. They look like they will be helpful! There are also a few pockets at the top to store things in, which would be good to put toys and such in, since your baby will be able to reach them. 

Verdict: Probably yes.

                                       

Update: Norah is now using her next car seat, and we put one on the back seat of our car, since she is still sitting rear-facing. It works well! Occasionally it gets jumbled up if she kicks it a lot, but it mostly stays in place. We mostly still carry her from the car to the location, but it will be nice as she even gets older to protect the seats from her dirty shoes.

You can view our other editions here.

Also, Norah has the Britax Advocate for her convertible car seat. We switched her at 11 months. Norah has always been at the upper ends of the percentage charts for weight/height (especially height), so she was getting tight in the infant seat. Also, she was on a great nap schedule, which really helped because we usually knew when she would sleep and she didn't nap on the go anymore like a newborn! We have liked it. It's pretty easy to use and install. I did take it apart once to wash the pads and that was a huge job, so I definitely won't be doing that unless they really need to be cleaned. 

Verdict: I would recommend; it's served us well so far!

A great day!

Yesterday was such a great day with Norah. Each day is great and special in it's own way, but yesterday was one to remember! She slept for her longest sleep stretch ever during the night (yay!), napped well during the day (she usually just catnaps all day), and gave lots of smiles and cute coos. We actually caught a few on camera, finally! They are adorable, if I do say so myself.

We also had our small group Christmas party last night, which was really fun. Norah was wide awake the whole party, and did so well! She was perfectly content and never cried once! Granted, perfect times like that don't happen often, so it makes them so great when they do!

I also think she looked super cute in her reindeer Christmas outfit. :)

I love this picture so much.

Our small group friends prayed over us before we left, as we are moving soon and this was our last big event together, and it was so special to have them do that and to hear the special words they said about us. We will definitely miss them, and our church, very much!

Must hear music.

For All Season- Only You (outdoor acoustic)

Shane and Shane- Though You Slay Me

These are two of Kley and I's favorite songs currently. Both are amazingly good and praising God! Highly recommend watching/listening to both.