Oh, Just Another Little Award :P

I believe I am supposed to reveal some facts that you didn't know about me...I think reveal maybe too strong of a word, we'll go with "share" instead. :) Now forgive me fellow blogger who gave me this little gem, I forgot the guidelines a bit and I only have a few minutes before my baby is done with her bottle...you know how that is. :) So, I think it is 7 facts...and here I go.

1. I was Homeschooled from 7th grade on
I don't think it is a secret, but I am proud of it and I like to "brag" about it when I can. That's right, I am so cool, I can teach myself. ;)

2. I have 5 siblings
Again, not so secret, but it is a big part of who I am, and I think it is important people know I have an awesome, loud, large family. ♥

3. I am addicted to Target
I go there at least 3 times a week. In fact, when shopping for houses, one of the perks of our place is that it is less than 5 mins away from my favorite store...just like our apartment was. :P

4. When my skin gets too cold I break out in hives
Yeah, you read it right. I don't know why really. I has developed over the last 5 years or so...but it doesn't deter me away from loving fall and winter weather.

5. I hate the beach
This girl cannot stand hot, humid weather; sand; salt water; the smell of fish; and not being on solid land. Give me snowy, pine-tree-covered mountains any day and I'll be MUCH happier!

6. I LOVE Bubble Tea
Different places call them different things, but peach black tea with tapioca pearls is quite possibly the best thing ever.

7. I never wanted a job/career that involved sitting in an office.
Teacher
Storm Chaser
Emergency medicine
Screenwriter
Now, I still think about movies all the time, I would love to actually finish a script...maybe that should be a new year's resolution. ;)

Now I know I am supposed to tag people...like, a lot of people, but honestly I am sad and do not have many blog followers. SO, followers, I unofficially tag you all. If you read this, go for it. Keep this cute little acknowledgement going. Thanks again notanothermother...you are pretty awesome ;)

M.LEWIS

3 Days of Christmas

Well, it's done. Another Christmas come and gone.

I love Christmas so much, I am bummed that the day itself flies by so quickly. This year was a whirlwind of traveling around DFW and seeing all sorts of family. Lorelai did so well considering she needs naps and hates her carseat. Here was our holiday schedule:

Friday 23:
11:00am Party at cousin's house
2:00pm Go home for Lorelai to nap
4:30pm Go to Prosper in-laws for "Santa visit" w/ Chris' family
8:00pm DONE






Saturday 24:
10:00am Go to Prosper in-laws to meet Chris' brother & family
12:30pm Meet Granbury in-laws to exchange gifts and have lunch
2:30pm Go home for Lorelai to nap
4:30pm Go to my Grnadmother's for Christmas Eve Dinner (MY FAVORITE!)
8:00pm Go home, hang up stockings, leaves cookies and coffee for Santa, Lorelai's bedtime
9:00pm Put together Lorelai's Santa gift and set up for morning
10:00pm Find out Chris' mom (Prosper in-laws) has come down with a severe stomach flu
(It's here where we decide, as hard as it has, to skip seeing his family the following day)
11:00pm DONE



Sunday 25:
7:00am Stockings and Santa gifts
8:30am Decide to later drop off presents at Prosper in-laws before his brother and family leave town
9:00am Homemade breakfast
9:30am Presents
12:00pm Lunch
12:30 Drop off presents, exchange and open a few on back porch
3:00pm My mom's for presents, family, and dinner
7:00pm Lorelai has had it since she has had only 45mins of napping
7:30pm DONE

It was tiring just trying to remember it all. Of course, more people came down with the stomach flu; Lorelai, father-in-law, and my sister on Monday; My mom, sister Caroline, me, and Chris on Tuesday; brother Jacob and still sister Caroline on Wednesday. As far as today goes, I have heard nothing about more people getting ill. Hopefully it has runs its evil course...and I do mean evil...that thing was fierce and unforgiving for several, several hours. Anyway, that wraps up our Christmas 2011. We have had more issues and such come up today, but I am trying to relax and not let them stress me out. I just pray 2012 will be a little less hectic!

*More pictures on FB in case you missed them ;)




M.LEWIS

All I Want For Christmas Is My Baby's Teeth To Come In

I am not a fan of teething.

Teething turns my cute little baby into an irritable, loud, irrational, inconsolable mess. Not only is it frustrating, but you tend to also feel helpless. Here is this little person that depends on you for everything and you can't make them feel better.
People have highly recommended "teething tablets" but either my child is abnormal or the tablets plays on mind-tricks...in other words, they don't make the slightest difference in the on-going teething saga.
I have heard and tried every suggestion from real-life parents, magazines, and online research...but I think my girly is just destined to be mighty uncomfortable for awhile. I did resort to infant ibuprofen to take the edge off. Go ahead, judge me if you must. I also took her to McDonald's. That's right! I'm one of those "evil" parents that uses medication and partakes in fast food. You know what? It helped...for a little while ;)
I don't mean to complain too much, it has just been an interesting last couple of weeks. Every day is filled with waves of tantrums, screams, and pouts followed by moments of giggles, claps, and smiles. *shrugs*

I am scared of next weekend.

I mean, I of course look forward to Christmas and all its joys, but Lorelai will have to be flexible, mellow, and easy-going from Friday through Sunday without her scheduled naps and down-time...and that scares me. LEL is a schedule baby...by her own doing really. She has never napped too well. She will only nap 2 places: crib and carseat...if the car is moving. She needs about 2 hours of napping during the day in order to keep a "pleasant company" status. Christmas will be a breeze compared to our trip to Colorado in June. LEL sleeping in a hotel? Sitting in a car longer than 10 mins? It's going to be fun.

...Maybe she will be on a "teething break" that week.

Anyway...just had to talk that out. I truly hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season, I know we are (minus what you just read, haha)

Zoning out much, Lorelai? ;)

M.LEWIS  

After All, There's Only 11 More Sleeps Till Christmas

I must say, I appreciate Christmas on an entirely new level now that I have a child. I felt it somewhat last year, but since my baby was 4 weeks old I didn't really spend much time noticing and absorbing my usual holiday festivities.

This year I have a 1 year-old and it is a blast! Sure, she probably won't like looking at Christmas lights too much since it involves sitting in her carseat...but the other things I think she has really loved. She points at the Christmas tree and smiles almost half a dozen times a day; she like tasting the holiday goodies; she enjoys watching the Christmas specials (for the 3 minutes she pay attention to them); she looks adorable in all her holiday outfits...and we haven't even reached the true magic of the season.

This may sound crazy, and I don't want people to misinterpret my words, but I think having a baby has made me love Christmas carols more. I hear verses like "A child sleeping in the night, he will bring us goodness and light" and I do feel differently about them. I put myself in that scenario and it is so touching to me that the whole world felt the joy and promise of this little baby boy. What pride must be felt as a mother, what sense of support and love. I also love the verse "Whom shepards guard and angels sing." It must have been such an honor to have these creatures, heavenly and mortal guard and protect your child. I don't to imply that my baby is the same has Jesus, that it definitely not my intention, I just mean to express my better emotional understanding of the birth of Christ the Lord. I love Christmas Hymns even more now for this reason.

She loves walking with her stroller. She likes taking the TV remote for a walk.

Her manger scene

Giving baby Jesus a kiss

Mother Mary taking care of her baby

Admiring the Christmas tree. We agreed, Lorelai's tree is the prettiest tree ;)

Our tree, 2011

Still counting down the days, Merry Christmas!

M.LEWIS

House Update...Frustration Edition

I love owning a house, seriously, I do...but sometimes I get mighty frustrated with it and the money it costs.

A few days before Lorelai's birthday I decided we should put up the Christmas lights. As I look outside this weekend to constant rain, I am glad we did it a bit early! Anyway, we don't have a large area to decorate so tried to imagine in my mind what "look" we should go for when hanging lights. I like white lights and Chris likes color, so we did both. (I should take a picture to show everyone later) The main issue was this: I really wanted icicle lights to hang on the roof so we went and got 4 boxes @ $11.99 a piece. A little pricey all together, but my dad supplied us with the rest of our lights so that's all we had to buy. Once we were putting up the lights I realized that our front tree is rather large and is stilling holding on to most of its leaves. This makes hanging roof lights rather pointless on half the house. So I thought "Ok, no problem, I will just do it over the garage." I totally forgot that icicle lights s-u-c-k right out of the box. They do not hang down like pretty ice, they clump and bunch and look like a tangled mess. I tried to stretch them out as best I could and started to climb up the ladder to place them. About 2 feet in I decided "no." It looked so tacky, so messy, and I did not want to be that house. I took them down. I did have 2 strands of snowflake lights my dad gave me so Chris and I agreed that would be a much better look for over the garage. Teetering on the ladder I hung all 20 snowflakes and then plugged them in. Now, to be clear, I did check ALL the lights I put up to make sure they worked before I begun this adventure. They did all work...on the ground. For some reason 15 out of the 20 snowflake died from the trip up to the roof. *sigh* I shook them, hit them, yell at them, pleaded to God...but no, nothing worked. Angry, frustrated, cold, and defeated, I went inside to tackle the problem another day.
In the mean time, I went to return the 3 other unopened boxes of icicle lights. I waited in line for 15 mins, upon arriving at the counter I realized I could only return 2 of them because Chris bought some on his card...and I did not have his card. *sigh*
The next day I decided to attempt the broken snowflake lights again. I did have an extra box of 10 snowflakes (Thanks dad!) so I used their spare fuses to test the broken strands. I took down the first row, the fuse didn't help. So I said "Fine, I will just replace this whole strand, whatever." I hung the whole thing and tried the fuse change on the second half-broken stand. No go. *sigh* I took down the whole second strand. I shook them, hit them, screamed at them, tried to bargain with them...and then, miraculously, they all turned on. "QUICK!" I told myself, "HANG THEM!" I put them all back up connected them to the other snowflake and plugged them in...THEY WORKED! All of them. I was happy and thankful for the little miracle...of not loosing my mind...again.

Once the tricky lights were conquered I thought we should finally go get the gas logs for our fireplace. Again, pricey, but this was long-term house upgrade, and it would be nice to use in the winter. Chris and I went to the store, talked to a guy, and purchased a kit. "It's easy, it should take you no more than an hour." the guy said. Ha. Yeah. Right. Not only will our key not reached the gas to turn it on, but our cast iron log starter will not disconnect from the gas line. Will not budge. *sigh* So our nice, warm, new gas log kit is still sitting in the box on the other room while we try to figure out how much we want to mess with the gas, and when we might want to find someone to install it instead.

To top off this week, our heater died. The night of Lorelai's birthday I woke up around 3 am to a pretty chilly house. "Hmm, that's weird." I ignored it for a bit, but I couldn't help but think it was way cooler than I set it. I got up and sure enough, it was like 66. Now, I know some of you might think "You'll live." and you're right...but it still didn't change the fact that my heater wasn't working. I read the heater info, decoded the flashing light, and researched some things on the internet and decided, yeah, I needed to call a repairman. I dug out my old space heater and placed it in Lorelai's room and went back to bed around 5am.
The next morning was Lorelai's 12month appt, but after that I talked to my mom and got the number of a company she recommended. I called and talked to an older woman about my heater, she said they could come to my house the next morning around 10am. It wasn't supposed to get really cold until Sunday, so I figured one more night of chilly air would be do-able.
The next morning 10am came and went, and no repairmen. I called and talked to the woman again around 11am. She said she would "find out where they are and call me right back." Well, 45mins went by (almost noon now) and I was getting rather impatient. She did finally call back and then tried to tell me they didn't need to come out. "All heaters have lights on them." "Yes, but my heat is not coming on...it's getting colder." "Oh....did you try the breaker?" "Yes." "And it didn't help?" "No. That's why I called yesterday morning." "Oh...well, they won't be able to make it out until this afternoon." "Oh. Ok, do we have more of a time-frame than that?" "Like 4 or 5pm...is that ok?" "Well, I guess it will have to be...I need a working heater." "Ok. Sorry."
*sigh* I was pretty frustrated at the whole thing. I left with my chilly baby for a couple hours and came back. They did come around 3:30 and spent about 15mins to fix it. They were nice and efficient and my heater works, but after the confusing and less-than-helpful service I don't think I should have paid them as much as I did...but whatever.

I am trying not to spend any more $ than I need to this week. I still have Christmas presents to buy and bills to pay...not to mention a new HAO payment and new insurance at the beginning of the new year. I am trying not to stress. Really, I am...I don't think it's working too well though. I am thankful for my house, my husband, baby girl, loyal puppy, working heater, and money in the bank...even if it's not as much as I need to feel comfortable. Christmas season is here, and it's not about $ or presents, and that is something that not need be forgotten!

M.LEWIS

Happy Birthday, Dear Lorelai!

Well, we made it. 1 whole year of fun, love, laughs, tears, bumps, bruises, naps, and endless cups of coffee. My little baby girl is now a toddler!

I'd love to say it flew by, and maybe in some ways it did, but mostly it does feel like she has been in our lives for a year now. I think back at the hospital stay, newborn diapers, tiny bodysuits, nursing bras, and multiple hour-long naps and I think "That was forever ago." To remember when I didn't have to pack diapers, wipes, extra bottle, back-up formula, and multiple pacifiers it does seem like a year...and maybe a little more. ;) Though when I think about how big she has gotten, how much she has learned, how much she discovers everyday, it has gone by fast. She seems like a real little kid now, and not so much a baby...which is a weird transition.
She now weighs 21lbs and is 30 1/4 inches tall. She can have "normal" cow's milk now and can munch on peanut butter sandwiches (which we have yet to try). She still only has 2 teeth, lol, but she will add to that on her own time. She brushes those two little teeth each night and hates it when Mama takes over to help. She is starting to point to her nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. She coasts along furniture and is getting more bold on venturing away from the furniture and taking more steps on her own. She can now toss away bottles and drink solely from a sippy cup. She can even order a small kid-friendly (and tooth-less friendly) meals; which means learning to use a fork and spoon. She says "uhbye" and waves we someone leaves and says "lo" when she picks up one of our phones. She recognizes her favorite show and sings along with her own lyrics: "bubbo." She points at things she wants to play with, or even to direct where she wants to go.

Such a journey in a year. It is truly amazing. What's even more amazing...she has never been sick. Not one day. I don't know how we did that, but I am so grateful. I know many other moms have had their little ones sick several times before their 1st birthday. Mostly little icky stomach bugs but I know there are many other moms who have had far greater struggles. That is why this year I am donating to St. Jude's. Though I stress out about $ this time of year, I know those kids and those families need all the donations they can get. I cannot imagine going through what they go through, but I can do what I can.

In case anyone is interested in traveling down memory lane, here is my blog about the arrival of Miss Lorelai Elizabeth Lewis. My little love ♥

Here's to the next year of her life...and our's for that matter. ;)

M.LEWIS

Why the Pink?

In honor of Lorelai's upcoming birthday, my blog with transition into a wonderful world of baby pink. I thought it would be a nice flow changer before I break out my Christmas madness :)

M.LEWIS

Gobbling Up Thanksgiving

 Well in case you missed it for some reason, yesterday was Thanksgiving. Lorelai's first Thanksgiving. Yep, this time last year I was counting down the days until I got to go to the hospital. I was h-u-g-e and mighty uncomfortable from all the heartburn and jabby feet moving around in my tummy. This Thanksgiving was a little different. :)

Just being pretty...she's good at it

                             

Showing off her walking "skills" to my youngest cousins

                             

Goofing around with my 2 out of 3 brothers

Exploring through the shoes at the front door

Book time with Daddy

Baby toy + cell phones = entertainment during football

She did try some stuffing, mashed potatoes, jello, and bread. We managed to sneak in a couple of slices of pie before Lorelai needed to go home to nap. (Arriving at her usual nap time threw her off...but's ok, it's a holiday) Later that evening we saw Chris's parents to round off the holiday. Well, that's it, except for her 1st birthday next week, she has covered all her first holidays. Oh, and in case you were wondering, her shirt says "Everyone is thankful for me" and it's true. :)

M.LEWIS 

She's Making a List, and Checking it Twice (at least)!

Time for the holidays...and that means: LISTS!

I am a list-maker. Even when I pack for trips, I make lists so I don't forget anything going into the trip or coming home from one. I make lists every time I go to the grocery store or the hardware store. So now, with Lorelai's birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all coming up I have several different lists going on.

Christmas shopping is the main list, and I can happily say I have made a pretty decent dent in it in the past 2 weeks. :) I have to focus on Thanksgiving first though! I am making a delicious jello salad and a yummy cherry pie for my family's get-together. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and I am also excited for Lorelai's last first holiday! I think she will enjoy trying some new foods and seeing the smiling faces. Some family members haven't seen her in months...or at all!

Then comes her birthday! 11/30! I am setting a new rule this year. No Christmas decorating until after her birthday. Christmas music, sure, but no decorations just yet. I want to make sure Lorelai's birthday doesn't get overshadowed. Don't get me wrong, December 1st is oh-my-goodness-break-out-the-tree-and-lights day, but I want Lorelai's birthday decor to take over the house before the holiday fanciness. ;) Plus, it may make for a nice tradition to break out the Christmas boxes while Lorelai is keeping herself busy with new toys. :D

Anyway, back to my lists: I also have a list for things to buy for the house...Christmas decor-wise. I need a front door wreath and outdoor Christmas lights! My dad said I can raid through his boxes of "non-used lights." That should help the $ cost.

I also have to order Christmas cards and gather addresses before I send them out. Hopefully I will not lose the list this time. The move earlier made for massive paper purge. I plan to save them online this year. ;) So be prepared for an email from me...or maybe you will beat me to it.

I hope you all are in good spirits as we transition into the holiday season. I hope the weather stays cool and crisp and the leaves continue to turn and fall to the ground. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

M.LEWIS

It's a Honor to be Nominated

So, I am feeling the love from my readers lately; and honestly, it's an awesome feeling. I think every single blogger thinks "Who reads this? Does anyone read this? Do they care? Am I any good at this?" So it is nice when you receive that small recognition of "Hey, I like to read what you write." Sure, some days I scrape together anything I can blog about. I very much like to write, but don't always have something in my mind worth writing about...but hey, I try, and apparently it's working pretty well. :)

My fellow blogger shone a little spotlight on me lately and I am touched. I would also like to reciprocate the fondness and recommend you follow her eloquent, down-to-earth blog full of relateable topics. She gave me this little gem:

The word “liebster” means favorite or dearest in German, and the Liebster Award is intended to spotlight up and coming blogs with fewer than 200 followers. Upon receiving this Liebster Award, there are a few rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

3. Reveal your top picks for the award.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

So flattering. Now it is my turn to flatter the writers of the blogs I enjoy following. :)

Deliberations of a Domestic Diva - Abbey, a friend from several years ago back when she lived in TX. She now lives in ABQ with her husband and 2 a-dor-able kiddos. Her blog is well-worth stopping by. Her stories and thoughts always make me smile.

Zana's Ninis - Katie, my sister-in-law, who lives in Kansas with her husband (my husband's brother) their 3 children. My nieces and nephew are always a pleasure to read about but her amazing quilting talent is will also keep you coming back for updates and ideas.

The Volk's Wagon - Alzbeta, is Katie's sister who lives in Colorado with her Husband and little girl. A preemie, Anni's growth and strength will uplift your spirit. The love in this family is evident and you can't miss it! A photographer, Alzbeta's pictures will capture you (pun intended) just like her narrative of life.

These are my top picks. I have many friends whom I love to read about through their blogs. I look forward to reading about their lives, their thoughts, their courage, their hopes, their online diary.

Thanks for the nod, and I hope my fellow bloggers will carry on this little appreciation!

M.LEWIS  

I Smell Snow...Almost

Why do people hate winter? Hate cold? Hate snow? Seriously, how can you hate snow? How can you not love snow?

These are questions I have asked for years. So many people grumble and groan over cold, crisp weather and curse the presence of snow. Sure, they are mum over the hell that is summer. They don't mind the 110° heat, the blistering sunburns, the drenching sweat, the sky-high electricity bills, and crippling, damaging, long-term effects of droughts. That's all fine with them.
Well, it's not fine with me. I hate summer. I despise it. I hate everything I just listed and more.
I will take fall and winter all year long. I love it when the air turns cool and the winds pick up. I love it when the leaves turn beautiful colors and change the landscape of the earth. I love it when fall eases into winter. The leaves collect on the ground and the sky turns cold and sharp. I love it when we see the first snowflakes fall. Maybe it's because I have Lorelai, maybe it's the fact I refuse to let go of certain childhood pleasures, but either way, I can't get enough of it. How can you not smile at the prospect of snow?! It's magical.

I think my old pal, (original) Lorelai, can explain it the best. This pretty much sums up my feelings about snow and the cold-weather seasons. You all can be "Luke" about it...but you won't bring me down.

I welcome you winter, with open arms. Forget the grumps of the world...they don't know what they're missing!

M.LEWIS

Project Complete!

After a lot of work and creative patience, I have finished my advent calendar...in plenty of time none the less. :)

Once again, this is my grandmother's original advent calendar

This is my updated version

I used a cutting board, craft wood, sculpey, nails, paint, and varnish spray. For the particulars you can read here. I can't wait to hang it up and start counting down the days! I hope Lorelai will enjoy it as much as I have growing up. :)

M.LEWIS

Progression of the Advent

So previously I mentioned recreating a favorite Christmas memory of mine for Lorelai (and future children). Well I am here to update you all on my progress before December 1.

There are several steps to making the calendar.

This is the original. My grandmother made it for my mother and her brothers in 1976. They did not grow up with it like my siblings and I did. This is the memory I would like to make for my family as well.

The board is large, and is solid wood. The tree is a separate cut out of wood with craft texturing. The ornaments are all handmade, sculpted out of sculpey, then handpainted. Every piece is sprayed with a varnish spray for preservation. Small nails are nailed into the board to hold the ornaments. In this particular picture not all the pieces are there, and they are not in the right order...but you get the idea.

So far I found a large piece of wood I can use for the main board. My grandmother special ordered hers...mine is an over-sized cutting board. ;) She also special ordered the tree cut out...I got some craft wood for the tree. Cutting it out was the hard part. Bought a keyhole saw and did it all by hand. That was a work out. But I cut it out successfully! I then put the craft putty on it for that "piney" look.

It needs a second coat and then I will paint once it dries

A week or so ago I started on the ornaments. 25 of them, of course. I used many of the same ideas my grandmother made but I also made a few different to match our family style. I created a few each day out of sculpey and made them all in a week. Once baked, I spent the next several days painting each piece to my high expectations. They are not all exactly what I envisioned, but I am happy with them all.

Which is your favorite?

I sprayed them this morning, front and back, and they are all good to go. Now I will wait for the tree to dry, then I will paint the tree, glue it to my board, paint the board, add some trim to the board, spray the board, hammer in the nails, and install hanging hardware on the back. A lot done so far, but a lot to do. This is my progress thus far! I am getting excited to see it come together more. :) 25 more days until December 1st. (24 until LEL's 1st BIRTHDAY! ♥)

M.LEWIS

Boo-ti-ful Baby Skeleton

Ok, Halloween time!

It was a great first Halloween for Miss Lorelai.

She was a skeleton...the whole day! I purposely picked a non-fussy, easy-to-wear costume that she wouldn't be uncomfortable in. She looked adorable in it, of course. She got to play around in it and show it off not only to Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Hannah, Aunt Caroline, and Noni, but also to her Great Oma.

We had family over before trick-or-treating so they could peek at LEL's cuteness. I also put together some yummy, spooky snacks for feasting on. :)

She had a blast smiling and waving "hi" and "bye" to the neighbors when we went trick-or-treating. She also loved reached for all the pretty, shiny wrapped candy and placing it in her hello kitty bucket.

(Sorry, Blogger is having issues upload pictures right now. For all pictures visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.647039597247.2112323.194602998&type=3 )

M.LEWIS

11 down, 1 to go!

Well Lorelai has had her last "month" birthday before she hit the 1 year mark!

Crazy, crazy.

I think the time has gone by fast until I really think about it. I seriously cannot remember what it is like to just pick up your shoes and go somewhere. No counting diapers in your bag, no pre-filling bottles, no extra pacis, no change of outfit, no snacks, no sippy cup? Seems like ages ago.

Well, let's see...not much has developed since her 10 month old bday. She does try to stand on her own and take a few steps. She has kind of stalled out on that though, not much advancement since she first started. She does help brush her own teeth (all 2 of them). She is wearing shoes regularly, and is getting used to them still. Her hair is getting thick and long...she looks so bald when I look at old pictures. She is eating a lot more table food, and loves it. We are trying to learn how to use a spoon, but she rather use her fingers for food and hit the spoon on the highchair. She loves drinking out of sippy cups, but ONLY the one with straws. She is a pro at sipping through a straw but still refuses to hold her bottle or a traditional sippy cup.

She is a fast and sneaky crawler and hates to wear dresses or skirts due to their tendency of tripping up her moves. ;) She loves electronics still, and keys. She enjoys crawling up her Grandma's stairs and still loves puppies. She thinks everyone's drink or snack is hers to share...but don't worry, she tries to share her's as well. We still are attached to our paci's like no other and we cannot sleep without "lamby" and our lullaby rock cd's. She loves to climb over people and pillows/blankets, and loves to play peek-a-boo with them too. She waves "hi" and "bye" every time now, but still no words to go with it. She smiles at pretty much everyone she meets and is very friendly.

Today we celebrate her first Halloween. She is so sweet in her little costume. No worries, pictures will be taken and posted later. :)

I love my fast-growing, oh-so-loveable, one-of-a-kind Lorelai!

M.LEWIS

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

Halloween is a few days away. It is Lorelai’s first Halloween, and I am so excited! After Halloween will be her first Thanksgiving, and then mere days after that will be her 1^st birthday! Now I am not writing to gush about her birthday, instead I am writing to gush over the wonderfulness of holidays.

I know there are some people out there who don’t really pay attention to holidays. I’m not just talking about the “silly” ones like St. Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day; but they don’t even put a up a tree for Christmas! I think about growing up with my mom and my family and the magic that was every holiday. At Christmas we had not only one tree, but three. We had holly garland over windows and evergreen wrapped around the banisters. Small white lights twinkled behind every pine branch and every red bow. Even the outside of our house was adorned with colored lights and icicles hanging off the roof. Since we live in Texas, we rarely had snow, but that did not detract from the magic of Christmas. Not many people on our street put up lights, so our house shone like a beacon of Christmas magic. I felt a little sad for those families who did not have the trees, the lights, or the bows…the magic. What do they look forward to all year long? What makes your year special?

 It was what I loved the most, what I look forward to the whole year. Even as an adult, I had the privilege of experiencing the holidays with the same child-like wonder because I worked at a preschool. I got to see the astonishment in the kids eyes, the excitement. I loved it.  

It wasn’t just Christmas with my family that was so wonderful. We decorated for every holiday. We had green food-coloring in our milk for St. Patrick’s Day, we received chocolate hearts for Valentine’s, we saw fireworks twice on Independence Day, we carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating every year for Halloween, our entire family gathers for Thanksgiving, and we went egg-hunting with special assigned colors for Easter. We did it all.

I am now a mom and want to give all of that to Lorelai. Obviously Christmas and Christmas Eve are my favorite. The love and warmth that surround the day, the magic and faith that are involved are what make that holiday the paramount of the year. Halloween in a close second though, the silliness and the opportunity to dress up is a great break from the everyday. This year Lorelai will dress up as a cute, girly skeleton. I will carve her jack-o-lantern this weekend too…and of course, there will be a ton of pictures documenting the fun. After all the fun come the chores of the season. In November I need to Christmas shop and birthday shop. I CANNOT wait for her first birthday party! J I also need to work on a special project. Which brings me back to Christmas:

During the month of December, my siblings and I used an advent calendar to count down the days until Santa. Our calendar wasn’t like everyone else’s. Instead of pulling out treats from a little drawer, we hung ornaments on a wooden tree that hung on the wall. It was handmade by my grandmother and we all loved it. We were assigned certain days so we all got a turn, and we even chose which ornaments we wanted to hang. They don’t sell this kind of advent calendar…I’ve looked. So, I am going to make one. I want my kids to have the same special feeling when waking up. “It’s my day!” Then followed promptly with “Now there are only __ more days until Christmas!”

So, I have to find a large piece of unfinished wood (I think I found a clever alternative), I have to make a tree in the center, then all the ornaments for the tree; All handcrafted and hand-painted. I look forward to this project. I highly anticipate the many years of enjoyment with it.

Now, I don’t want to take away from the meaning of any holiday with secular objects. I do love the meaning behind each day…but the decorations, the music, the fun; it’s what makes the season different and special. I get excited over the first official Christmas commercial I see, and I get addicted to the Christmas radio stations in November. Looking at Christmas lights this year will be extraordinary; I think Lorelai will thoroughly enjoy seeing the wonderment.

Ahhhhh, holidays. I seriously can’t wait. I hope your days are as memorable and meaningful to you all as they are to me. Thanks Mom, thanks Oma, for making the holidays so special and for making my childhood so loving and nostalgic for me. It is the absolute best thing I can pass on to my child and to my family.

Our old home (apartment) before the arrival of Lorelai...I did what I could with no fireplace :P

Our engagement Christmas Eve...being silly.

My church. No lights, just candle light from the Christ candle...singing Silent Night. Seriously the best feeling.

I will leave you with a little something that always brings a smile to my face. This pretty much encompasses my feelings for the holiday season. I still believe, I will always believe. J

“Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

(Paraphrased from http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/)

M.LEWIS

Phoeber Bieber Fever

This a much-deserved post about our little pup, Phoebe. J

Phoebe turns 2 in November; and we have had her apart of our family for 2 years in February. Honestly, I can’t remember not having that silly, loveable wiener dog around. She was destined to be apart of our family. A friend of mine (hi Sarah!) mention she saw a cute little dachshund puppy at a pet store one day after I talked about wanting a little puppy. Chris and I checked out the pet store a little later and fell in love with the dog that would be named Phoebe.

Contrary to popular belief, I actually did not name Phoebe. That was all Chris. He told me (before we went puppy searching) that he had a dream were we got a puppy with a pink bow and we called her Phoebe. We never could imagine how perfectly then name would fit.

Now, if you don’t like an overabundance of love and affection, Phoebe won’t be the best friend for you. No matter how long you have been gone, Phoebe will greet you with jumps of joy and tons of kisses. She loves to cuddle, especially under blankets and pillows. Now potty-training was difficult, but once we moved into our house, she figured it out like a little champ. J She snacks throughout the day and frequently will scoop up her chow and bring it into the room people are in so she doesn’t have to eat alone. She loves to wear little puppy sweaters and get super excited when she spots one. She is the BEST dog with Lorelai. We are so touched at the way those two pal around. They will be best friends for years to come. They even have some secret language with each other and know when they want to play and what game they want to play. (usually chase, but sometimes fetch) Phoebe gets in her daily exercise by running long laps around the house. It is seriously one of the silliest things you will see. You can’t help but laugh at her goofiness.

We have some doggy neighbors who love to bark at Phoebe through the fence, but good ol’ Phoebe rarely barks back. She loves to track bunnies in the backyard but always lets them escape when she finds one. She knows they are her friends, and she should not be too rough with them.

She does have some odd qualities that make her so endearing. She is afraid of empty plastic bottles (ONLY empty ones) and recently, smoke/steam. Yep…one glance at the “mysterious” substance and she shakes, shivers, and frighteningly relieves herself on the carpet. You can’t get made because you know she is so terrified…for some reason. She even looks up at you and you can almost hear her little puppy voice say “I’m sorry, I’m just so nervous.”

She also loves to wear little puppy sweaters. Yep, that’s right, LOVES them. She gets all excited when she sees us pull it out; she even helps us put it on her. She slides her head in and tries to get her legs in…she needs help with that though.

Our little Phoebs is certainly a character, and we love her dearly. I know not everyone is a “dog-person” but I believe she was meant to be a part of our family…and that is exactly what she has become. God knows we have laughed the hardest at her behavior, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she has added a couple years to our life because of it. J

M.LEWIS 

Why?! : One of Lorelai's Quirks

Most of the time, when I talk about Lorelai, I boast about her cuteness, her cleverness, and basically her all-around-wonderfulness. This post will be slightly different. ;)

Of course I love her with everything I have in me...but...lately, she has a new habit that is not endearing. For months we have been having banana oatmeal in the morning for breakfast. Until recently she has taken the meal flawlessly. Lately, I have noticed a new and irritating pattern. She still eats the oatmeal fine 5 out of the 7 days...randomly, for no apparent reason, she picks out a day here and there to REFUSE the oatmeal she gobbled up the day before.
I make it the same way everyday. Same temperature, same consistency, same time in the morning (give or take) every day. Does someone have an insight on this problem? Am I missing something? She literally won't swallow a drop. She screams, spits it out into her hand, then promptly wipes it all over her face and in her hair. So not only am I wasting a whole bowl of oatmeal (that I used expensive formula to make), but I have to completely strip her down and bathe her to get her clean. Then I have the issue of "What do I feed her now?" I have some toaster waffles. I usually heat one up and break it apart for her. She takes it fine. (So I know the issue is not "I'm not hungry.")

Maybe I am more frustrated with it today because she slept horribly last night. She woke up the first time and hour after bedtime. She was crying and inconsolable until I left her room. After about half an hour she was out again. She then slept until 3:30am, where she then was up and happy, talking, and calling for someone to get her. I went in, put a paci in her mouth and turned on her lullaby cd. I placed her back down on the mattress and gave her her favorite sleepy toy. Exiting, she lost it. It didn't last too long. But that's not to say she went back to sleep. She stayed up for 2 hrs. Talking loudly off and on the entire time. I couldn't fall asleep. I thought "Well, at least she'll sleep in later." Hah. Yeah, right. She was up 15mins after her normal get-up time. *sigh*

I guess she is going through one of her phases, but it is draining me slowly. At least I have my mom and sisters nearby to help me grasp my last strands of sanity when she does this.

Like I said, if you moms out there have any ideas or suggestions on this situation, I am all ears...and I don't say that often. ;)

M.LEWIS

House Update 10/16/11

Nothing too exciting to update on, but we did create a flowerbed in the backyard. It took about 2hrs to complete from start to finish. It was a good lesson on what it involves and what kind of timeline it requires. We marked out the bed and then begun to dug up the unwanted grass. The ground was thick, hard, muddy, and contained pretty large rocks of old concrete. Yay. :(

We then lined it with our black border and filled in the dug-up area with gardening soil. After that, we just dumped in a couple bags of mulch and I then planted some trumpet vine seeds from my mom's vine back home. I look forward to that crazy, sturdy vine growing up and over the fence...it will give me a new view from not only the backyard, but from my kitchen window. :)

It is purposely not to wide, for we are not the most dedicated gardeners and I want fewer plants to tend to, yet still create that full, lush look. Also, we do not have the biggest yard on the block, and I would like to leave as much room as possible for kids to play and puppies to run. Plus, we can always expand later. ;)

This is just one of many we plan to "install" through out our whole yard. 

M.LEWIS

Things Keep Going, and Going, and Going...

I feel like the last 2 weeks were both incredibly long and yet surprisingly busy. Between my scheduled events and unexpected incidents, I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend…eventually.

Last Monday my parents had their foundation repaired in the garage. It involved jack-hammering through the drive-way and the garage floor. They had to insert concrete towers to the foundation to restore its structural integrity. My mom had to stick around the house and be available for anything the work men might need so Lorelai and I played taxi for a little while…well, actually, it was just me, Lorelai got to stay and play with her Grandma and Aunt Hannah. After dropping off and picking up my brother a couple times we made it home in mid-afternoon. The rest of the evening was pretty low-key until I got a text from my mom the next morning. It didn’t say much, “Let me know what your schedule looks like today, we had a long night in the ER.” Well, needless to say, I called my mom right away. She told me how my dad came home from work not feeling great. She tried to get him to eat dinner and he said his stomach was too upset to eat. Later in the evening he starting vomiting and becoming quite dehydrated and uncomfortable. By 2am he was very ill and agreed he needed to go to the hospital. One issue: he was too weak to even sit up. So, after scaring my mom with his extreme vertigo and disorientation she decided to call 911. A firetruck and ambulance pull in front of their house with lights and sirens. After the EMS team got my dad downstairs and in the rig, they all drove to the hospital. After an IV, CT scan, blood work, and many other tests the doctors concluded his symptoms seems to be contributed to food poisoning from seafood. Oddly enough, my dad had not consumed seafood at all. They sent him home with prescriptions and orders to rest. After a couple of days he seemed much, much better. They still don’t know what really caused the extreme reaction, but it seems to have passed completely.

Wednesday I met up with an old friend of mine, Mrs. Erin VanMarter. We knew each other growing up and due to life we haven’t really seen each other in years. She is moving into a house in the area, so hopefully we can meet up every so often. I am happy she is doing well and is happy with her new husband. :)

Thursday Lorelai and I met with Jen and Ava! She is now almost 3 months old and is still so sweet and tiny! Well, not really, just compared to my baby she is tiny. ;) They are both doing well and I love seeing her little girl grow bigger! I passed along a few pieces of clothing that Lorelai was never able to wear for one reason or another; I hope they can get some use out of them. They live out in Anna, so we don’t get to see them too often, but when we do we love it! I really enjoy having mommy-friends.

Friday Lorelai was having a massive fussy day, so I tried to keep her out and about most of the day for a couple of reasons. 1- Distractions seem to help stop the screaming. 2- Moving her around and passing her off to different people has the tendency of wearing her out. Yeah, this day just felt soooo long.

Saturday I felt pretty icky. I really couldn’t put my finger on why; it was just this general “blah” feeling. My in-laws came over to watch a TV show they missed (we taped it for them) and I got some chores done before I took a mini nap. I didn’t even know when they left. Sorry! Phoebe promptly woke me with her cold little nose not too much later.

I did have a little “break” until Tuesday. My good friend, Maggie, came over to visit us. It was great seeing her and catching up with all that is going on with her. I forgot to give her something before she left, so I guess I get to see her again soon. ;)

Wednesday I took Phoebe to a new vet. I was not impressed with our old “default” vet and I finally got a good recommendation for a new one. It was a little crowded and a bit hectic to walk into, and let me tell you, it was not easy filling out paperwork with LEL, a diaper bag, and a shivering puppy. Half an hour later we were done and driving home. All she needed was a checkup and new heartworm meds. I do like the new vet so far, we’ll see how it goes.

And now it is Saturday again and we are leaving in a few hours to go to my good friend, Katie’s, wedding. She was one of my bridesmaids, and I pretty much love her goofiness. ;) She is marrying her best friend and longtime bf, Nick. They are super cute together and I cannot wait to see all the fun and festivities she has planned for this evening. Happy Wedding Day you two! :D

Now hopefully the next 2 days of our long weekend are relaxing and easy-going. Hah, yeah right. ;)

*Special shout-out to 2 new babies in the world these past 2 weeks! You both are beautiful and precious, congratulations to the parents!!!*

M.LEWIS

Another Finishing Touch

A couple of days ago, I made a small adjustment to our front hall. I had no idea what to do with the space and I was getting frustrated that I had no place to drop my stuff when I walked in. I saw this picture in a catalog and I knew I had to recreate it...much cheaper (of course).

Crate and Barrel's rendition of an "entryway bench" for $547.95 

My take on the "entryway bench"
cubby bench + coat hooks = less than $75
Thanks to Target :)

I do want to place something decorative above the hooks. I'll take a look again at Target and then at Hobby Lobby. I love getting the looks I want for less! Thanks Crate and Barrel for the inspiration *wink*

M.LEWIS