Friday, February 20, 2009

Goings On

Another week gone by!

We've had a "normal" week around here, and not too much to really talk much about. I had my eyes checked on Thursday and discovered that I now need my glasses all the time. I'm very thankful that there are ways to improve my vision, but I'm disappointed that I have to wear them 24/7. I don't like the way they look on me. My doc said I was a good candidate for contacts, but I'm a little apprehensive about putting something in my eye. We'll see, I'm considering it.

Last Friday Opa (Aaron's dad) came through on his way home from Tampa. He brought Caroline some Valentine candy and little stuffed Woodstock.



She liked the chocolate, but I ended up eating it in the end. She gave Opa a real shock when he was offering her some of the chocolate and she dove right in with a big bite. He forgot she has teeth now! We all had a good laugh.

Aaron and I had a nice Valentines Day. I got him tickets to the Western Kentucky vs Troy basketball game. It was on Valentines Day and he went with some friends. He went to both schools (WKU for undergrad, Troy for graduate) but he's decided to cheer for WKU in basketball and Troy in football, when they play each other. I will ALWAYS be a Hilltopper, in case anyone was wondering. ;) He completely spoiled me this year, and I was shocked! He came home with a new bag for me and I love, love, love it!



While the bag is WONDERFUL and perfect for my needs, what I found truly romantic was that he remembered it at all. MONTHS ago I told him about the new pattern I liked and that this particular bag would be great because of the size, and he remembered! I don't think we discussed it again! This may not seem like a big deal, but Aaron willingly admits that his memory isn't the best, so I know he really thought about me when deciding to buy this. It's a great bag for toting around all of Caroline's essentials, as well as mine. I was tired of the big, bulky diaper bag, but my purses weren't quite large enough. Anyway, I don't have to be concerned about that anymore because my wonderful hubby got me the PERFECT bag!

Aaron is involved in a leadership program in our community. The group meets once a month and travels around the community, learning about the industries represented here. He had a meeting yesterday and after he got home, Caroline was very interested in his name tag. Just to be clear, she pulled it from his shirt, and she reapplied it to her head.




She walked around like that for about 15 minutes. Oh the joys of small things like name tags.

I want to take a moment to introduce y'all to my new best friend.



I've never been much of a cook, but in the last few years I've been trying to learn new recipes and get into the kitchen more. I love the book because hiding veggies in foods isn't just good for Caroline, but for Aaron and I as well. I've used her recipes but she's also inspired me to come up with some of my own. Last night, for example, we had baked spaghetti. This is one of Aaron's favorite meals, and Caroline and I enjoy it too. I decided to try my hand at hiding a veggie in one of my normal meals, so I poured some cauliflower puree in with the mixture and it worked out GREAT! You couldn't even taste the cauliflower and Aaron informed me he felt "deceived" but in a good way. I'm really enjoying the cookbook, and I highly recommend it. I also recommend continuing to offer veggies in their "normal" state because you never know when a child's tastes might change. Making veggies in several different ways can help you find the way your child likes it. This was how I discovered that Caroline likes broccoli in spaghetti sauce. It's quite tasty, and now I always include broccoli in my sauce and we all love it!

We're having more company this weekend. Aaron's sister, Karen, and her husband, Justin, are coming through on Saturday night. Aaron's parents are also planning to worship with us on Sunday. They will be on their way home from a funeral in Jacksonville. We're looking forward to time with family this weekend!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

A Week of Firsts

We've had a week of "firsts" around our house this week.

Sunday morning, fresh from a good night's sleep, Caroline came down with a stomach virus for the first time. She'd never thrown up before (other than baby spit-up) and she didn't like it too well. Sunday was a hard day for all of us. Then, on Monday we got to experience what it was like to be a family of three who ALL had a stomach virus. We holed up in our bed, Caroline in the middle, and only got up to get Pedialite/Sprite/Gatorade or because we were going to be sick. The first time we were all sick together---such family bonding!

On Wednesday Caroline wore her first skirt.



She's worn dresses a lot, but never a skirt and top. I thought she looked pretty cute!

Today was errand running day and it was going really great...until we went to Wal-Mart, which was the last stop on our long list of stops. As I was carrying Caroline in, I noticed her behind felt a little damp. Yes, she had a leaky diaper. Now, this wasn't the first time her diaper has ever leaked, but, this was the first time it's ever leaked away from home where I had to change her in a public bathroom. I made sure to really scrub her in the bath tonight!

Tonight was the first night we were really feeling back to normal so I celebrated by making homemade Macaroni and Cheese for the first time!



This isn't your normal, run of the mill Mac and Cheese. In the dish I included chopped organic cauliflower, onion, and I used whole wheat pasta. I know it's still not the healthiest side dish, but I felt better knowing it had extra fiber!

So, that's our week in a nutshell of "firsts". Hope y'all had a good one and enjoy the weekend! It's a long weekend! :)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Another Prayer Request

Sadly, another set of our friends are on the brink of losing their precious baby. Our friend, Becky Dobbins, was diagnosed with Toxemia/Preeclampsia last night and will have to have an emergency delivery. She is only 22 weeks pregnant. The doctors have told them there is no chance of their little girl surviving. I know that the Lord can do anything, so I am hoping all the prayer warriors who read this will begin praying for the Dobbins family. Thanks.

Update: Baby Chole passed away last night inutero. Becky hasn't delivered yet, but there is serious concern for her life due to damage that has been done to her liver. Please continue to pray. Thanks.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Are you ready for some football?

Where did January go? I can't believe it's February already! Time is really is flying past at rapid speed.

Aaron has taught Caroline something new: throw the football. He has a stuffed Tennessee Titans football that he uses to play with her. It's almost as big as she is, but she will go get it, pick it up, and throw it. After she's thrown it (which is really more like dropping it with a slight toss in front of her) she will grin and giggle, then clap for herself.




She's bending to get the football. I don't have a picture of her throwing it, she's too fast for me!



The celebration once the football has been thrown. She's so proud of herself!

We also welcomed a new addition to our church family this weekend. Our friends and brother and sister in Christ, Thomas and Krysta welcomed their first child on Saturday morning. They named her Olivia and we're hoping she and Caroline will be great friends one day. I have about 48 chins in this picture, but I'll post it anyway because I think it's cute of Caroline checking out Baby Olivia.



We rejoice with our friends Matt and Candee, who were able to bring Baby Blake home on Monday. He is doing better than any doctor expected. I think this is a testament to prayer and a good reminder that the Lord is in control.