Growing // My guess is roughly 24 pounds. She is huge and immobile and likes to flop into dead weight when I pull her out of her crib. Sleeping // Zianne has always been a great sleeper, but her naps are extra amazing right now. Her morning nap gets delayed most mornings because we don't get back to the gym until 11am-ish. She sometimes falls asleep on the way home, and even though she wakes up getting out of the car, as soon as I start walking down the hall toward her room, she crashes her head into my shoulder, starts sucking her thumb, and falls asleep the moment I set her in her crib. I often have to wake her up at 12:30, so she will still take her late afternoon nap, which has been lasting from 3-5. Zianne is also out like a light at nights. We try to start bedtime around 8pm, and some nights she will only nurse for a few minutes before looking at me with a disgruntled face that says "Mom, just put me in my crib already." However, we've been through a rough couple of weeks with Z waking up between 5:30 and 6:30am. She is content to stay in her crib, but she rarely falls back asleep. I can also rarely go back to sleep once I hear her, but I don't want to get her up and start a bad habit, so mornings have been a bit restless for both of us. We are both tired yet not sleeping, and it's no fun. However, she's finally slept until 7:30 the past three mornings, so hopefully we are in the clear! Eating // Zianne is basically on all table foods, except I sometimes still give her a puree just to make sure she's getting enough veggies. She loves meat, yogurt, string cheese, and anything carb-y such as pasta, bread, cereal, and crackers. She is her mother's daughter. She is also still nursing four times a day, but I'm planning to drop her late afternoon feeding as soon as she turns 11 months. She's not that interested in it and would rather eat a big dinner instead. Wearing // I've been slowly packing up the 18 month clothes and she is fully in 24 month onesies with some 18 month shirts, shorts, and dresses that should carry us through the summer. It's weird to thing that Z will probably be in a consistent size (24 month/2T) the entire fall and I can actually design a little wardrobe for her that she will actually wear longer than two weeks. Doing // I'll tell you what she's not doing... crawling! However, she can finally scoot on her elbows and knees in straight line if we set a desirable object (usually towers of blocks) 2-3 feet from her reach. She'll wiggle her way toward them and knock them over. But if something is too far away, she'll give up and lie on her stomach sucking her thumb. She has also fallen in love with her Fisher Price Xylophone and she'll sit and play music on it all day long which is the cutest. She still doesn't say any words (except "dadadada" on repeat), but I'm fairly convinced she has tried to "quack" like a duck a few times and I finally caught her making the "ma" sound. It's only happened twice so far, but up until now she has been unable {or refused?} to make any "mmmm" sounds. Loving // Watching big kids play all around her, going to the gym childcare, going to swim lessons, drinking ice water from her sippy cup, eating paper and wood products {such as napkins, coasters, board books, etc.} Loathing // Getting her face wiped with anything wet, being put on her stomach to practice crawling especially if she was already sitting and playing with toys Daddy's girl // Micah and I have handled Z's early waking differently. I try to ignore it and go back to sleep, but for the first few days he was quick to jump out of bed, get her out of her crib, and bring her into our bed. As soon as she entered our room, I would pick up my pillow and march out to the couch to try to sneak in another hour of sleep. He was wishfully thinking that Zianne would curl up next to him on the big bed and go back to sleep like she did in her newborn days. We all know that's not how it works. Usually I would go back into our room an hour later to find Zianne sideways across the bed, babbling, and kicking Micah in the back as he tried {and failed} to sleep. He learned his lesson and she now babbles in her own crib if she wakes up extra early. Mishaps and milestones // I don't know that it's a milestone, but Zianne officially knows how to dance now. As soon as she hears music, whether on the radio, TV, or even just from one of her toys, she starts bouncing immediately. Then she throws one arm out and makes her hand flop up and down to the music - Beyonce "put a ring on it" style. See Zianne's other monthly updates here: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 ... Read more
August Goals
Sharing a few achievable goals on my blog each month has proven to be incredibly beneficial for me. I feel extra accountable to get things done when I know I will report back to my readers in this space. I don't always get everything accomplished on my monthly list, but I'm usually able to knock out the majority of my goals, and I consider that a very good thing. RECAP OF LAST MONTH: Open a savings account for Zianne... Nope. Didn't do it. This might wait until September when I can visit our Washington credit union in person. Rollover 401K... Okay, guys, I actually worked on this one. Usually when I put off annoying, over-the-phone, administrative tasks like this, I find it's never as bad as I thought it would be once I actually just do it. That is not the case this time. I called my old 401K people. They gave me information. I called my current credit union. They gave me conflicting information and told me to call the other company back. At that point, I gave up. Ugh. There is a reason this has been on my to do list for three years. Start HSA wellness activities... I made some appointments. Could have done more... Finish fall syllabus... Nope. I considered doing this over the past few days but other school things seemed more pressing. Print photos for Zianne's baby book... Yes. I did it. I probably need to print more, but I got a batch done. Get watch batteries fixed... Bam! All three batteries fixed. Took 10 minutes and $30. Very excited about this! Read one book... I read Never Let Me Go and LOVED it! Write one note of encouragement... Check. GOALS FOR THIS MONTH: List books on Amazon... As usual, I am on a mission to get our house cleaned out over the summer. I have a box full of books to sell sitting in my entry closet. I need to list them on Amazon and whatever doesn't sell by October will go in our garage sale. Can I tell you how excited I am to participate in our community garage sale this year?! Continue HSA activities... This is such a blah activity, but we love adding to our HSA account. Complete wall above Micah's dresser... We got new curtains in our bedroom and the last step in having our room done-for-now is hanging some art above Micah's dresser. This will probably involve shopping and crafting though so it feels slightly ambitious, but we'll see what I can do! Work on Zianne's baby book... My goal is to have it finished by her 1st birthday, which is so soon and I'm way behind! Read a book... Write one note of encouragement... |Linking up with The Tiny Twig's "Goals with Grace"| ... Read more
Flowers Fade Friday: Jesus IS Calling
I've seen it happen so many times before... women desperate to meet with God daily. Women whose Bibles sit dusty on the nightstand while they slosh through the daily busyness that makes up all of life... college classes, a full-time job, dinners to make, diapers to change, financial burdens, home repairs. And yet a voice at the back of their minds says, "You need me. Meet with me. Find me first, before you face the challenges of this day." And these women are not unfaithful. They hear the voice of the Spirit and they try to figure out a solution to their lack of intimacy with the Lord. This often comes out in the form of a question. A question I've been asked many times before, "What should I read? Do you have a good devotional you would recommend?" And the answer is... no, I don't. I don't think there is any devotional or theological book in the world that I would recommend to you. And here's why. If you haven't made room in your life to read the Bible every single day, then you are wasting your time with books and devotionals. Devotionals are good, but they are not the best. And I sincerely, desperately want you to have the best. I want you to have the living words of the Living God. I see these devotionals all the time on Instagram and Facebook. Jesus Calling has been the trendy devotional for women for a few years now. And I have nothing against Jesus Calling. I know it's theologically sound and very encouraging. But here's the thing... it's not the Bible. There is truth in it, but it's not infallible. It's encouraging, but it's not guaranteed to change your life. It might convict you, but it doesn't directly command you how to live a godly life. It might remind you of God's goodness, but it doesn't show you His exact promises etched in ink waiting to be fulfilled. Only the Bible is infallible. It was written by God. The Bible is alive, and it's active like yeast in dough when it gets into our hearts. God promises that when we read His Word, He will change us from the inside out. We don't have to wonder and stress about discerning God's commands, because when we open Scripture they are spelled out on the page. We don't have to battle hopelessness and doubt, because when we open the Word we can see God's character and read the promises He makes for us... promises that He is working for the good of those who love Him always and forever. Maybe your devotional book begins with a verse each day. And that verse is precious. If I were given the choice between a verse and nothing, I'd choose the verse every day of my life. But why settle for a drop of water, when there is a whole well of Living Water to quench your thirsty mouth? My friend, Jesus IS calling you. Every day He is beckoning you to come to His Word, to open the pages, and drink deeply the waters of hope, encouragement, grace, and truth found there. Why should a verse satisfy when you can read a whole chapter? Why should a devotional suffice when you have thousands of pages written for you by a God who loves you so very much? Don't throw away your devotionals by any means; they too are a gift. They are God's grace to you. God has likely called the authors of your favorite books to write hopeful and truthful words to glorify His name. But don't go there first. Don't put your trust in words written by mere men and women. And certainly don't build your life or start your day on a devotional. Turn first to the Bible... cherish it, love it, study it, memorize it, and obey it. Jesus is calling you... and on His pages He will show you His infinite love, grace, and wisdom, and change you and mold you in the process. Can you hear Him? ... Read more
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