Jen Russum

Dear Zianne {eight months}

Dear Zianne {eight months}

Dear Zianne, Sometimes I tell you that you're my favorite little human... I'll look down at you and I can suddenly see past your chubby cheeks and chunky thighs and your asymmetrical seven teeth and instead see a little person blossoming out of a baby's body. A person with feelings and preferences and unique abilities. Each day your baby body grows more agile, and although you can't crawl yet, you've learned to sit and roll and thrust your body toward the toys you want. You reach eagerly for the extra fuzzy pillows and blankets, and you proudly hold your weight up when we help you stand. You just figured out pointing all on your own, and your index finger tells us that you like your aunt, the TV, and the picture frames hanging on the wall. And your mind is developing even faster than your body. You have opinions about hot car seats {not a fan} and favorite toys {striped sock monkey, please}. You have a favorite song {"Rockin' Robin"} and favorite activities {singing, dancing, and eating Puffs}. You love people, and you like to wave and smile and interact at all times. I love having you as my little baby, but I can't ignore that your body stretches out a bit more each day. With every ounce of weight you gain, you also acquire new abilities and new sounds, and you learn to express yourself in new ways. You are still a baby, but you are transforming into a person before my eyes. My favorite little human, to be exact... Love,  Mama ||P.S. Read other letters to Zianne here|| ... Read more

How to Read the Bible on Your Phone…

How to Read the Bible on Your Phone…

This might be common knowledge to some, but I've noticed via comments on blogs and Instagram that many people are unfamiliar with the YouVersion Bible app {because they make it confusing by giving it multiple names as you will see below} or perhaps you have the app installed on your phone but don't know about its many wonderful features. So I thought I'd do a quick tutorial today to show you how this Bible app can enrich your time with the Lord, help you read the Word while you're on the go, and even keep you on track with a Bible reading plan. Honestly, I prefer to read a hard copy of my Bible while sitting on the sofa in the morning, but I still use this app often to look up verses, keep track of my current reading plan or devotional, and I use it when traveling so I don't have to add a Bible to ten thousand pounds of baby gear when I pack. But I don't think it matters if you prefer to read on paper or on your phone. What matters is that you read God's Word, and the YouVersion app is His grace to read more easily and conveniently. So what is the YouVersion app and where you can find it? Technically it's the LifeChurch.tv Bible app, but when you open up the program, it will say "YouVersion" at the bottom of the screen. If you type "Bible" into the search bar in the app store, it should be the first option that pops up. On the home page, you will see a verse of the day and if you are currently doing any reading plans, you will see your plans up near the top. If you click on the menu button {three lines in upper left corner}, you will see a full list of options. I don't use all of them, but to simply read any section of the Bible, click "Read" and at the top of the screen you can choose your book and chapter. To see your current reading plans or browse new ones, click "Plans." When reading the Bible, you can always change the version in the top right corner {ESV is my personal favorite}. At the bottom of the screen you can change the text and colors, hear an audio version of the passage, or you can search a term or verse at any time by clicking the magnifying glass.    If you click on a verse, it will become underlined and a small button will appear in the lower right corner. If you click that button, a screen will pop up that allows you to highlight the verse, bookmark it, add a note about it, or share it via email or social media. I don't use these features often, but I've seen people in church who add notes to passages during every sermon and they must have quite an archive of Biblical teaching stored in their phones. When I click over to my "Plans" page, I can see the reading schedules I'm currently working on and I can also see the plans I've completed in the past. If I click on my current ESV reading plan, I can see the passages I need to read for the day, and if I touch the verse it will take me to that section of the Bible and then automatically check it off my reading list for the day. If you want to browse new plans, click the green button at the bottom of the page. You can search plans in multiple categories. Some are full or partial Bible reading plans. Others are devotions to supplement your Bible reading. For actual Bible reading plans, I personally like the ESV Study Bible, the One-Year Chronological Bible, and the M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan. Some devotions I have done in the past are The New City Catechism, For the Love of God, a bunch by John Piper {just search his name} and She Reads Truth. And I'm sure there are many other good ones out there that I haven't encountered yet. And here is the beautiful perk to doing a reading plan on YouVersion... If you click on the little settings icon to the right of your plan's title, it will take you to the settings page where you can see your progress, your expected end date, and you can choose other options like having a reminder of your plan emailed to you each day. Down at the bottom is the wonderful grace button. If you ever get behind on a plan and feel discouraged, you can push the "Catch Me Up" button and it will reset your schedule to your last completed day, give you a new end date goal, and your missed days will be erased! Keep on it, friend! So there you have it. The Word of God on your very own phone. What a gift! I hope this app blesses you in your time with the Lord. And if you use any of the other functions on YouVersion that I didn't discuss here, please feel free to share in the comments below! ... Read more

Eight Months

Eight Months

Growing // Due to an ear infection, we visited the doctor the day after Zianne turned 8 months and she was 22 pounds, 10 ounces. Eating // Up until eight months, Zianne was holding strong at five milk feedings a day and was eating purees and puffs for breakfast and dinner. Over the past few weeks, we've added a solid lunch into the mix and she is finally dropping her fifth feeding as well as her dinnertime nap {aka the "five o'clock snooze"}. Sleeping // Zianne's sleeping is still great. She is finally converting to a shorter morning nap and a longer afternoon nap. Although I loved her 2+ hour morning naps, but I knew she would have to change up her schedule eventually, so I've changed mine as well and now clean in the mornings and devote the late afternoons to school work. Wearing // She is still in 18  month onesies and rompers, but she dabbles in 24 month and 2T sizes for pajamas, swimsuits, and shorts. But honestly, Zianne hardly wears pajamas anymore. It's so hot out that we usually just put her in a diaper and her sleep sack. Doing // Zianne still shows no interest in crawling, and I don't mind at all. If her doctor shows concern at her 9 month well-check I'll start trying to teach her, but until then I'm savoring this sit-and-play stage. Z has learned to point with her index finger in addition to waving at anyone and everyone she meets. She is slowly getting better at standing with assistance. At first she would flop down immediately when we tried to get her to stand, but now she can hold her self up for awhile before her knees buckle beneath the weight of her rather-giant body. Loving // People. This girl truly loves to have people around her at all times. She loves when we have friends over and she can just watch all the adults talk and laugh. She also enjoys watching toddlers play. Big kids who can walk and run around truly fascinate her. Loathing // Getting in her car seat when it's hot outside {understandably}. Having her face cleaned with a wet wipe or damp cloth {if it's dry, she doesn't mind}. Daddy's girl // Zianne has been saying "dadadada" like crazy for the past few weeks. She doesn't quite know what it means yet, but she knows it's an important word because we get so excited every time she says it. In other news, Micah and Z like to have dance parties when he gets home from work. Usually, I'll be cooking dinner and they will come into the kitchen with Micah's phone blaring "Rockin' Robin." They will dance around and coax me into busting a few moves with them. Zianne laughs with glee as she bounces around with mom and dad to her favorite song. Mishaps and milestones // Zianne got her first ear infection, which we thankfully discovered by rushing to the pediatrician's office before leaving on a trip. We literally picked up her meds on the way to the airport. For being sick, she traveled like a champ! See Zianne's other monthly updates here: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 ... Read more