Friday Daybook

Outside: A quick rainshower this afternoon made everything smell so fresh and clean and a lovely breeze blew in...it's supposed to get colder tonight but then back up into the 60's tomorrow. Glorious spring.
Thinking: About some organizing/decorating projects to finish up, then maybe -- just maybe -- I can consider us moved in and ready to bring home another baby in a few months.
Thankful: For good deals at Hobby Lobby. For Friday night wind-down evenings and the glorious knowledge of Saturday yet to come. For packages in the mail from Indiana.
From the kitchen: A pot of pasta e fagioli soup tonight, made from a soup mix but still homemade-tasting because it slow-cooked for 2 hours! I want to invent my own mix based on what this package contained: white beans, tiny shell pastas, and a packet of spices and seasonings. The recipe called for sauteed onions and garlic and a can of diced tomatoes, and I added some Italian sausage, and it was phenomenal! I must have been in the right mood because I also baked a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. OH BABY.
Creating: A cozier home. We bought a couple of prints this week from our friend downstairs who runs an interior design store in the retail shops of our building. Big prints that are sort of impressionistic and very reminiscent of street scenes in Paris. I just love getting new things now and then for us (it's been a long time since we bought anything that wasn't baby-related!) and cozying up our home even more.
Going: Nowhere. Another home-bound weekend and I love it.
Reading: A random murder mystery that I picked up (sadly, the quality of the writing is pretty random, too) but also the Real Simple 10th anniversary issue and this blog post (please take a minute to read it; sometimes it amazes me how other bloggers seem to be in my own head!): http://www.remodelingthislife.com/2010/04/13/coffee-and-raindrops/
Hoping: That I can find contentment and not be antsy through the last trimester of my pregnancy. I really want to enjoy this time as much as possible, knowing another huge change is coming our way, albeit a very good change.
Hearing: Tonight at dinner, when Marty prayed for the food and said "Thank you Lord for our children," something inside leaped a little bit. I carry the reminder of our blessings on my hip and in my belly all the time, but hearing it in a prayer is just music to me. The cherry on top? When Marty said "So I was reading in Matthew today..." My cup truly runs over.
A favorite thing: Melissa and Doug toys. Knowing I did a great job on a project. A fresh bouquet of ranunculus (I'll share a picture tomorrow; they are simply gorgeous). Being able to enjoy coffee again.

What's that you say? A GIVEAWAY? "I love lavender" edition

Today I want to talk about products. Namely, household products that make your life easier and more comfortable. And even more specifically, household products that are lavender-based. Lavender has always been my favorite color, and somewhere along the line, the smell of lavender became one of my favorite scents as well. Here are some of my favorite products:

1. Glade plug-ins scented oil in lavender and vanilla. My husband, a New-York-educated lawyer who has conducted jury trials (in Memphis no less; think Matthew McConaughey in "A Time to Kill" -- HOT!!!) and is one of the most brilliant men I've ever known, calls these "smell-goods." Ha.
2. Method all-purpose spray in French lavender. I use this spray all over the house, but especially on kitchen and bathroom countertops. No harsh smell here, just the scent of a breeze floating over lavender fields in the French countryside!
3. Febreze lavender, vanilla and comfort air freshener. I don't know what the "comfort" smell is, exactly, but I do know that I love, love, love this scent. It really is comforting!

I've always wanted to do a giveaway but I've yet to be approached by whoever it is that trolls the blog-o-sphere, looking for lady bloggers with just the right cool quotient to sponsor giveaways. Apparently I just haven't met that quotient yet. Sigh. And since nothing brings out lurkers and blog readers like a giveaway (and I'm curious to see how many readers I have), I'm going to do my very first giveaway sponsored BY ME!!! Now, don't get too excited...these three products totaled together are going to cost me, what? A whopping 12 dollars? But hey, it's fun for me and FREE FOR YOU!

All you have to do to participate is leave me a comment (can't be anonymous, of course) recommending a favorite household product that you use faithfully. That's it! And since I think my blog readers are quite few in number, your chances of winning are really pretty good! So comment away and good luck! (p.s. I will be using that random generator number thingey to determine the winner; I promise, no favorites!)

Edited to add: I will be closing this contest on Friday, April 23rd at 5:00 p.m. and hope to get the package in the mail that weekend (it's already ready to go!). So far there are only 7 entrants...Good luck to everyone!

April is Autism Awareness Month

As many of you know, my precious nephew Ethan has autism, and it is my privilege to talk about him and to let you all know that April is Autism Awareness Month.

My sister might correct me on this, but I do believe Ethan was about 18 months old when the diagnosis of autism was first floated as a possibility. Immediately Sarah signed up for early intervention therapies, and Ethan has been in therapy (now at Riley Hospital for Children) ever since. My whole family can attest to the fact that early intervention is KEY. Ethan is doing as well as he's doing because of the hard work he's done in therapy. So "autism awareness" isn't just a nice thing to talk about it, it's vitally important! According to the Autism Speaks website, autism is now affecting 1 in 70 boys. Which is just CRAZY to me. What is causing this epidemic??? We need answers now. We need to find the cause and we need to find the cure.

Just last weekend while we were visiting in Indiana, I had the chance to play with Ethan for awhile at my parents' house. We got on the kitchen floor and put together an A-B-C floor puzzle. When he was done assembling it (lightning-fast in my opinion!), Ethan went down the row and said aloud the vocabulary words on each piece. He messed up "V is for violin" (he said "guitar," but hey, easy mistake!) and he couldn't pronounce (X is for) "xylophone," but really, what a dumb word. :) Other than that, his reading comprehension was perfect, and I couldn't stop hugging him when he was done. I'm so proud of him. I have extremely high hopes that he will conquer autism and its associated challenges and live a beautiful, healthy, and fulfilling life.

My Buddy, Auntie B loves you and can't imagine my life without your bright light in it. Keep growing and learning and getting stronger and stronger. I love you so much!

Ethan doing the Easter Egg Hunt. Yes, my sister makes her kids wear bunny ears while they hunt for eggs. I think it's hysterical.

And I can't resist sharing pictures of my other nephew and nieces, because without a doubt, they are just about the funniest kids I've ever known. Like my sister Katie and I have always said, watching them is "Better than TV!"

Only Ada knows for sure what's going on here. But she's taken to adopting a rock star pose when cameras are out. I could have died laughing when she did this.

Abby posing with her loot. Again, only one of my sister's kids would think to pose with her face in the Easter egg basket.

And last but not least, the irrepressible Elijah. Because he's the baby he has to show us how tough he is. Mission accomplished, little boy! :)

Better late than never -- Will's nursery

Back on my old blog (which is private) I shared all our plans for Will's nursery, but I never shared pictures of the final product. Well my wonderful Leslie (uh, the best photographer EVER) took some shots back in October and even though Will is 5 months older and we're now living in a different place, I thought, what the heck, I'll post them anyway!

I had asked Les to do some "an evening in the life of Will" kind of shots, so she captured us doing his bath and bedtime routine.

Getting ready for the tub -- I love how he's completely naked here but you can't see anything because his ROLLS are in the way! I miss those rolls of baby fat. He's getting leaner now as he's getting more and more exercise at playtime.

Suds-ing up!

He looks sweet on his Mama here. Breaks my heart with preciousness.

Now for lotions and powdies...

...and an attempt at taming Will's wild hair. (It's tame now and I miss the wildness!)

Daddy prepares the blanket for swaddling...

...while Mama gets in more kisses and cuddles.

Will always liked to look at his "friends" while Mama swaddled him. (And no, I did not lay him down to sleep in his crib with all those blankets!)

Will's room in the loft is not as bright and cheery as the one pictured here, and I plan to remedy that as soon as we make our next move. He'll even have to (hopefully VERY briefly) share a room with his little sister when she arrives! In any case, I'm so glad I had the chance to create a fun, boyish, yet sweet nursery for our Will. I can't wait to really put together a nursery for Lucy!

A photo of a first

Will clapped for the first time on March 19 at 8 1/2 months old. He was playing with his nanny Jessie and they were listening to Dora singing a song, and he was so delighted he finally got the knack of putting those little hands together!

I love our new Rebel! I highly recommend making a solid investment in a good camera. I have zero photography skills, yet was able to capture a precious moment with great lighting on his face.

The return of the Daybook

I used to do the Daybook (as inspired by Kate) on my last blog, and I usually try to do it on Mondays. But since today feels like a Monday to me (we just got home from our Easter weekend late last night), I'm going to do it today!

Outside: Very warm temps (it got to 85 degrees today -- now THIS is why I live in the South!) and beautiful, beautiful sunshine. While we were gone for only 4 days, the tree right outside our front windows went from completely bare to blooming with these perfect almost-neon green baby leaves, and the sun is making shadows on our hardwood floors through those baby leaves. Golly Moses, I just love the Spring.

Thinking: About my job in this economy. Even though I only need it for a few months longer to meet our financial goals before I become a full-time stay-at-home mommy, it would still be a great loss to me to lose it now. We are also becoming more and more Indiana-minded with each passing month (and as my belly gets bigger and bigger!). We just want to be HOME, where we can raise our children around their family members and where we can have support and help.

Thankful: For my Jesus. For the promise of the Resurrection and to know that He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and then there will be no more tears. Ever again.

From the kitchen: A fresh pot of coffee. We're lazing in the afternoon sunshine at the moment and not hungry enough for dinner yet. And I was too busy earlier today to make coffee and I'm getting a dreaded no-caffeine headache, so Marty made me some of his famous coffee. Of course, I won't sleep until 3 in the morning, but that's okay!

Creating: A "spring greetings" card. I have to send some kind of correspondence out to make up for the Christmas greetings that never happened!

Going: Nowhere this weekend! We need a break from the traveling. Let's just say that 8 hours in a car with a 9-month-old is no fun for anybody, even with a brand-new DVD player and videos of Dora, George, and Clifford!

Reading: It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much-Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong. I'm going to do a book review on this as soon as I'm finished -- wait for it!

Hoping: That Marty hears back with positive news on a job possibility.

Hearing: Marty watching Paula Deen. We are big Paula fans in this household, and if we ever get to Savannah (hopefully before we move north), we're going to stand in line for a table at her restaurant.

A favorite thing: Short sleeves. Flip-flops. Pedicures. Four-cheese pasta and brown bread with butter at Cheesecake Factory. A chance to go to aforementioned restaurant with my hubby while my mom watched our son!

Holy Week

We are Indiana-bound this evening, as soon as our work-days are finished and we've packed enough supplies in the car to keep a 22-pound baby fed and dry and happy for 4 days (no small task, this!). I haven't been home since Thanksgiving, so I'm eagerly looking forward to time with family and friends.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of getting there and getting settled for a few days, though, I find that more than anything, I can't wait to sit in a quieted church to reflect on the meaning of this week, Holy Week, the most significant time of year for the Christian. We really hope to find an evening service on Good Friday (maybe a local Lutheran church?) because I've found in years past that Easter means that much more to me if I observe Good Friday in worship. Then we'll be joining my family in their church on Sunday to sing good old Baptist hymns and rejoice that yes, HE LIVES!

I serve a risen Saviour,

He's in the world today;

I know that He is living,

Whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy,

I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him

He's always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and He talks with me

Along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives:

He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me

I see His loving care,

And tho my heart grows weary

I never will despair;

I know that He is leading

Thro' all the stormy blast,

The day of His appearing

Will come at last.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,

Lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs

To Jesus Christ the King!

The hope of all who seek Him,

The help of all who find,

None other is so loving,

So good and kind.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.