"Thank You Momma! Thank You, Thank You!"

About this time last year I decided to start weaning Little Man because he was turning one. I had mixed feelings about weaning him, but I felt like I should because it’s just what most people do. And by most people I mean most people who breastfeed through the first year, which is not most people, but any way… I began cutting out feedings one at a time with a plan to have Little Man completely weaned within a month or two.

The first thing to go was pumping at work. This was an easy one for both of us. I was glad to stop carrying that pump back and forth and Little Man was already taking a bottle during the day so switching the bottle to whole milk was not difficult.

The next feeding to go was the early morning feeding which I had been doing before I left for work each day. This went pretty easily. Little Man started sleeping in and I could leave for work before he woke up. This got us down to the after school feeding, before bed feeding, and middle of the night feeding (which I would have loved to have said goodbye to months before.) And this is when it got difficult.

I did not want to let go of the after school feeding because this was our time to snuggle and reconnect. I could sit quietly holding Little Man, let work go, and refocus on the needs of my home. Get ready for job number two so to speak.  So I decided to wait until summer break before ending this feeding.

When summer came it was actually quite easy to eliminate this afternoon feeding because we were so busy playing and going that we just didn’t need it any more.  And then we were down to two- before bed and middle of the night. I really would have loved to stop that middle of the night feeding, but obviously if that were going to be easy to do I would have done it long ago, so the next feeding to go was before bed. At this point my plan of weaning in one to two months had become four months and we still weren’t there. 

Each night I began to try to give Little Man a bottle instead of nursing and each night he cried and fought the bottle and would not give up until I gave in and nursed him. I was feeling frustrated. “He’s just too big for this,” I told myself, “I’ve got to be firm and not give in.” 

So, determined to stand my ground, we began another nightly battle. Little Man did not want the bottle. He began patting my chest (his signal that he wanted to nurse.) No, I told him. Tapping harder. No, again. Tears.  Heart melting. I gave in and began readying to nurse. Relief spread across his face. He looked at me, “Thank you Momma! Thank you!  Thank you!” he said and began to nurse. My resolve was gone. I would not try to wean him. It would happen when it happened. In that moment it was all worth it: engorgements, mastitis, sleep deprivation, worry, anxiety, nursing bras, pumps, breast pads, all of it. And what so many women had told me was true; I loved nursing and I did not want to stop. In the beginning I had thought these women had to be liars (or crazy), but now I knew what they had meant. There is no great gift I could have given Little Man and in that moment there is no greater gift he could have given me. “Thank you Momma! Thank you! Thank you!”

(Just to let you know, Little Man did eventually stop nursing a few months later on his own and with much less stress for both of us.)

Naomi

Pressure Cooking

This post is not about the type of pot that my Granny uses to make most of her delicious home style meals, but rather about the insane amount of pressure that I put on myself when entertaining guests, more specifically new friends.

No offense to family members and already close friends, but you guys are easier to prepare for since I kind of already know your palate. For example, I know not to make a corn casserole if Naomi is coming to dinner, she wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot poll, on the other hand if I make a cheesecake for a gathering on my side of the family, there is a good chance there won’t be any left over, so you better get in there and get your piece while it lasts. None the less, there is always pressure when cooking for good friends and family, too – I don’t feed ya’ll Hamburger Helper for goodness sakes!

But the real challenge does come when having people over that you have never eaten with before. I try my hardest in advance to find out if they have any food allergies or utter dislikes, but sometimes I don’t find that out beforehand and I am left to figure out a meal that I hope everyone will enjoy…or at least chew…okay, swallow.

Does anyone else put this kind of pressure on themselves to present a delicious meal for new friends and whip up something that leads to everyone clearing their plate (I do not like to throw away food)?  

Bring on the gluten allergy, vegetarians, dislike of onion, vegans….wait, never mind I can’t handle that one, but all other diet exceptions and exemptions, I am up for the challenge!
Kristen

Love is..

Love is…

a sign that spring can’t be far away.

Love is...by Kim Casali

February is the shortest month of the year, but for me it always seems like the longest. It is dreary and gray and cold. I begin to hope for spring, but know that it is still far away. I find myself having a negative attitude in February; not everyday, but more than I would like. On these 'blah' February days I have to make a conscious effort to to be loving, and kind, and patient and many days I fall short.

But this weekend we got an early taste of spring. I spent quality time with my family enjoying the sun and mild weather.We went for a walk on Sunday afternoon and as my husband and I watched our son run ahead of us we mused about the future and reminisced about the "old" days; the dating days, the early marriage days, the pre baby days. We were married for many years before we had Little Man and I am truly thankful for the time we had just the two of us. We built a strong foundation for our family,but the love we shared then does not even compare to the love we know now. We love each other not just as husband and wife, but as Little Man's parents.

I meet this Valentine's Day with a truly joyful heart. When winter weather returns, as I'm sure it will, I will warm my heart and brighten my spirit by thinking of the reminder that spring will return and being thankful for those I love as I did this lovely Valentine's weekend.

Naomi

P.S.
That Love is... comic got me thinking about the original "Love is..." So, I thought I'd share a little reflection on Love. Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

And then there were three…

I ‘officially’ met my husband six years ago this past January. I technically knew about him a year and half before, but that is a whole other story that I plan to tell later. We came face to face with each other at the top of a staircase in the student union at the university where we attended and I knew right away that God had some pretty special plans for us. I am actually that girl who called a friend to say “I think I just met my husband,” after our first encounter. Fast forward…we dated roughly a year and a half and have been married almost four and a half years.

Our Wedding Day - Aug. 6, 2006

 During one of those crucial conversations when we were engaged (for those of you who are married and/or engaged, you know the ones...topics include: money, faith, politics...the one’s that can make you sweat a little), we discussed a possible time line for adding children into the mix and our thoughts on exactly how many little ones we foresaw being in said “mix”. When we walked down the aisle and said our “I do's” we had planned on waiting to try for a baby until at least our fifth year of marriage since we were relatively young (21 going on 22). We have always continued to be on the fence about the number of babies, some days it is two and on days when we have had a little too much caffeine, we become a little over ambitious and we discuss possibly having three.

Well no surprise, we did not make it until our fifth year of marriage, but our precious bundle of joy was not a surprise either. Soon after our third anniversary we began talking about trying for a baby, even though it was not what we had originally planned. Both my brother’s and their wives and my husband’s brother and wife started families in the last year and a half and I definitely had baby fever. The funny thing was that the contagious fever was also caught by my husband. In the beginning weeks of August 2010, we talked and prayed together and decided that we had peace on the subject and we would try for the next two months. If we were unsuccessful at the end of 2 months we would stop and continue to pray and try a little later down the road. The Lord definitely knew the desires of our hearts and according to ultrasounds and the due date we most likely got pregnant on the first try, consequently my husband’s birthday! How is that for a birthday present!?

27 weeks pregnant

 Our son is now 8 months old and it feels that he has always been a part of our lives. I would not trade our lives for anything, but today I was thinking of some of those random things that I miss from our days as a duo. In no particular order here are a few…

1. Sleeping in past 7 am….uninterrupted sleep….okay, just sleep.

2. Leaving the house at the drop of a hat with only my purse in tow.

3. Staying out late (late = past 7:30 pm)

4. Flushing the toilet in the middle of the night…our house is very small and we do not chance waking the babe.

5. Less laundry.

 On the other hand, here are a few things that I would not trade about being a family of 3…

1. The equal partnership that my husband and I have when it comes to taking care of the baby. He rarely complains about and most often offers to do things like change a dirty diaper (cloth, folks), feed the baby breakfast or dinner, and assemble a new toy.

2. Waking up with both of my guys in the bed (becoming a weekend tradition in our house).

3. The special moments while nursing my son…how he stares up at me and strokes my chin and hair.

4. The inspiration my son brings to me each and every day. I know this is also true for my husband. He makes us better people.

5. The gratitude that I have come to understand through being a mother and even more importantly, a woman of faith. Not only has having a child made over our lives, it has also made over my heart in ways that I cannot even explain. My priorities have shifted and for the better.
 
Sometimes we lie in bed at night and recount our days as a couple and many of the fun things that we did, places we went, and freedoms that we enjoyed, but then we remember the precious boy that is asleep on the other side of the wall and our reminiscing is replaced with prayers of thanksgiving and excitement for what the future holds for our family of three.

Kristen

The TT

Money Saving Tip - Haircuts

I had very long hair for a very long time.  Dull, boring, thick as a phone book, dirty blond hair.   I always wanted a stylish and hip hairstyle, but the easy bun and pony tail were just too hard to give up.  Plus, a long time ago when pixie cuts were all the rage, I attempted to have it done and it turned out awful and I believe that experience scarred me from ever having a decently short haircut. Laziness and my frugal nature also played a big role in not getting my hair cut in to a cute style; do you know how much haircuts cost these days?!  Where I live it is not absurd to pay $50 for a trim! I will admit that I have had 2 or 3 really good trims and paid $45-$50, but I financially cannot do that and don’t want to do that.  Paying that price means that I can only get my hair cut like once a year and trust me, my hair grows super fast and I would soon be looking like Cousin IT from the Adam’s Family.

Around Halloween time this past year my younger sister told me that she was getting her hair done at the cosmetology department at the community college that she attends.  I was nervous for the drastic cut and color that she was going to have done by a stylist in training, but low and behold it looked amazing!  And the kicker, to have your hair washed, cut, and styled only cost $10!!!  Shoot, if you didn’t want it washed and styled, only $5, but I think I could afford the five extra dollars to have my head massaged with salon shampoo (love that smell) and styled to perfection. I was immediately setting myself up an appointment to have my desperate tresses trimmed. In the week leading up to my appointment with the same girl that cut my sister’s hair, I decided that I was going to make a bold and drastic move and donate my hair to Locks for Love; I mean I had plenty to share and this was something that I had always wanted to do.  

The stylist in training cut 12 inches off to begin my transformation.  I was in utter shock, but the change felt good immediately.  While the haircut and styling took a bit longer than it might take in a typical salon, the outcome was awesome.  I must add that my husband loves my hair and actually said, “Keep it like this always please.”- I felt so beautiful in this moment.

I actually enjoyed the lengthy appointment and felt that I was in good hands because my stylist was really concentrating on what she was doing and asking her teachers for guidance when she had questions.  I have been back three times since that first haircut and each time I love going there more and more.  The same stylist does my hair each time and we have formed a friendship and she is now really comfortable cutting and styling my hair. Being able to (afford) keep my hair cut and styled regularly makes me feel so good on the inside and out. Plus, did I mention it is only $10?!?!  

If you have a local community college I would suggest finding out if they have a cosmetology school and make an appointment.  You could start with a safe simple trim and then work yourself up to more advanced styles as you got more comfortable.  This is a great way to save some major bucks and it’s only hair, right?!

Shake, Twist, Turn, Salsa, Shuffle….Zumba!

Exercise has always been very important to me but especially now, as a new mom since it is a stress reliever and I can use as much of that as I can get these days! 

I am a runner. I love running but it is also my default cardio exercise because I lack in the coordination department.  I became an avid runner around the age of 13 when I began competing in races and have continued to do so up to the present, only now I run about 2 races a year (wish it were more).  

On the other hand, my younger sister was graced with rhythm, fluid movements, and flexibility and is absolutely amazing to watch dance and perform.  A while back, my oh-so talented sister began going to Zumba classes at a local gym here in town and had been going on and on about how fun it was and what a great workout she got from doing it. She asked me to go on several occasions and I just so happened to always have some other important task calling my name…twiddling my fingers, organizing my sock drawer…you know important stuff.  I honestly knew I wouldn’t be able to go and “shake it like my momma gave me” amongst strangers and especially next to my sister, a really great shaker of what her momma gave her (and yes, we have the same mother).

Her ongoing requests finally wore me down and when my best friend was in town the week after Christmas, the three of us went to a Zumba class.  Yes, it was intimidating, it was hard, and I made a complete fool out of myself, but boy was it FUN!  Once I got over thinking about what others might be thinking of me and my not-so hot dance skills, I loved it.  Honestly, what I think I liked best was that I felt like a backup dancer in a music video…and who hasn’t ever dreamed of being in a choreographed dance scene?

 (This class is a lot like the ones I have been taking)

Zumba.com describes Zumba as a “"fitness-party" that is downright addictive.” Zumba is all the rage right now, so if you find out about a class or someone has been nagging you to go along with them, I encourage you to give it a try and unleash your inner-back up dancer!

Kristen