Valentine's Day Treats

Most of you know that I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. Ask any florist or former florist and they will tell you that Valentine's Day is over-rated. After working at a flower shop for 8 years, and working those long busy Valentine's Days that absolutely wore me out, the last thing I wanted to see was flowers, balloons, and candy. When Erik and I married, I made him promise to never buy me something for V-day. I told him that I wanted nothing to do with it, and that everyday should be V-day...not just one day out of the year. So, we haven't celebrated it...AT ALL!

This year, I have a different feeling. I don't want a thing from my husband, but do want to start acknowledging the holiday for our Mills' sake. I think that he should be fully aware of every holiday on the calender and maybe V-day will be a fun thing for him. I do want to stress the fact that he should love his significant other and show her that he loves her each and every day, not just one day out of the year. So, I told Erik that we should start setting an example for him.

To start, Mills will be having his first Valentine's Day party at Mimi June's. I wanted to make some extra special treats for the boys and girls. When my best friend Stephanie, delivered her baby boy, Nash, she made some of the cutest, quickest, and easiest favors to give to his first visitors. They were white chocolate dipped pretzel rods sprinkled with light blue crystallized sprinkles. I had forgotten about them until I was strolling the aisles at Walmart and saw the bags that she had put them in. Immediately, I returned all of my cookie supplies to its rightful place and replaced it with all of the necessary ingredients to make the pretzel rods. This was MUCH quicker and easier than baking a trillion cookies and decorating them. I am pleased with how they turned out. Thanks Steph, for your idea. :)

After dipping the pretzels in almond bark and sprinkling with Valentine's sprinkles, I place them on aluminum foil to dry.

I then added small red hearts to the more simple ones...just to add a little love ;)

Using this ribbon...

and these bags...

I ended up with this...
Not your every day, average Valetine's cookie!

Memoirs of a new MOMMY

a look into our little world

As I pondered on the fact that our little one will be 6 months old next Saturday, I got to thinking about all of the neat things that motherhood brings, AND all of the thoughts, feelings, and learning experiences it has brought to us. I know that every child is different. I know that each and every family is different. I know that my opinions are different that others, and that what works for my child may not work for someone else's. I have learned more in the past 6 months than I have in a lifetime, and it has been such a joy. So many experiences have brought us so many lessons, but great lessons. We have had good days, great days, awesome days, and a few rocky days...just as expected. I have had days of confusion, days of extreme exhaustion and days when I have been asked the most random off the wall questions from people. Everyone was right when they told me that I would "forget" all of the sleepless nights and rocky times at the beginning of Mills' life. We haven't forgotten of course, but we look back now and can say, "It wasn't so bad." We can laugh at the times when we were up every hour with a hungry, screaming, tummy-troubled baby.

During these first 6 months, Erik and I have tried to take in all that we can, and be the best parents that we can for our little one. We have gone through many a trial and error, being careful not hold to our words, too strongly, but to take one day at a time. Although, we have held to some of of our pre-parent sayings of "were not going to do this, and we're not going to do that," we have learned just like all of you that, we must do what works for us. Before Mills was born, we only thought we knew what kind of parents would be, but to tell you the truth, we have held to more of our ways of parenting more than we ever thought we would, and its not because we are trying to prove something to ourselves. Luckily, it has just ended up being that way.

Oh the things that have crossed my mind, have touched my heart, have been asked, "stuck to," and have pondered on.

1. oh my, how much do I feed this child?


2. Is that a normal poop? (oh yes, I've googled pictures of poop...no laughing)


3. My child just peed in his tub. Do we drain the water?

4. Miles or Mills. Which is correct? Look at the spelling. How is each pronounced? My child's name is not spelled M-I-L-E-S. It is M-I-L-L-S, and not pronounced anything like the name Miles. Mills it is, I say! You know...like Opry Mills, General Mills. LOL! I get a lot of people asking me, "How is Miles?" Oh brother!


5. I've learned that drooling and sucking on fists doesn't mean that your child is teething.


6. I pride myself in the fact that I read TONS of books before Mills was born and learned a lot, not that I have gone by any of them, but have learned more than I would have known if i hadn't read them. I mean we all read "What to Expect While You're Expecting" didn't we? I thought so.

I am also reading "What to Expect the First Year," which I have found to be very helpful, but I do skip some of the paragraphs, if its something that I'm not really concerned about.

7. Our little Mills can comfort himself while crying and sleeps through the night. I let him cry. Sorry, but I do. Sound cruel? Well, we don't have a cryer, and he's no longer much of a "whiner" either. I have found that if Mills gets fussy, a few minutes of fussing without contact from us, and he stops, realizing that he's okay. Erik and I both agree that NOT rushing to each and every whimper is a great way to keep from spoiling Mills, and we intend on keeping that way. I know when and when not to go to him and it hasn't been as hard as some have made it out to be. That's what makes each and every mother different. The fact that Erik and I did not like whiny kids before we had our own, hasn't changed. lol! Oh...and I thought it would.

8. I looked in the mirror several months after Mills' birth and couldn't believe how your belly REALLY goes back to normal...well almost normal. How can something go from being stretched to the size of watermelon, go back to being...well, flat again. Okay, so not flat, but pretty much back to normal like I said before. Sometimes I just look at it and say, "wow, there was a baby in there!"

9. Routine, routine, routine. In this house, there is nothing better than a routine. We have the same routine every day, and Mills has adapted wonderfully. I believe that this is sooo important. Its the same thing every day. Mills knows his routine, I firmly believe that. Structure is the key!


10. Reading: I firmly believe that reading to your child from day one is one of the best things you can offer a him or her. I really want to promote Mills' language skills and literacy. We attempt a Bible story everyday, but I especially stick with shorter stories, because of his extremely short attention span. Try it! If your baby doesn't sit long, at least you tried.


11. I love holding my baby boy. As soon as I get off work every day, I can't wait to get my hands on him. When I see his smile, it lights me up! Kisses...I can't get enough of them!


12. Something I'm excited about, and don't think I'm weird, but I am overjoyed at the fact that our baby boy is sleeping on his crib mattress and not in the bouncy seat. I never thought I'd ever see the day, much less see the day when he would be going to bed at 7:30ish and sleeping until 6:15am. Go Mills! Go Mills!

13. I am ecstatic that Mills is finally learning to burp on his own and that his reflux has calmed down tremendously.


14. I am almost over that fact that we can't use good smelling baby lotion, because of his extremely sensitive skin, and have learned to love Aquaphor wash, ointment, and Eucerin. Like someone once said, those Gerber baby commercials are all too deceiving, "you didn't expect him to come out perfect did you?" Well, he's perfect to me. :)

15. What do people actually mean when they ask, "Is he a good baby?" Honestly?! I don't know what kind of question that is.

16. My main goal in being a mom, is to raise Mills just as Erik and committed we would do. The way God would have us to raise him. I believe that exposure to the Bible, it's stories, songs, and going to church should be started as soon as possible. Mills has been in church since he was 8 weeks old, with the exception of Sundays when he was sick or stuffy. I pray that he will grow to love Christ and one day accept Him as his Savior. Nothing could be more important to me...ever!! I'm not trying to brainwash and over do anything...I call it "planting a seed."


17. Silly thought: I will sit here many nights and stare at our baby boy and think, "wow, he is real. He's ours, and we, along with God, made him. He is growing every day, and reaching milestones by the minute." Mills may may not be perfect, but he's as perfect as he can be in our eyes.


18. I love exposing Mills to music...good wholesome music of course. We listen to Bible songs EVERY NIGHT during bath time. I found this awesome book with a set of 2 CDs with 50 songs on each. Each story has it's very own song. When our baby boy gets older and will sit through a story, I plan on reading to him each night and singing a song, but for now, we just listen to the songs while his is in his tub. Pretty soon, he'll be demonstrating "Father Abraham" to everyone..."right arm, left arm..." Just wait! LOL

19. What do people mean when they look at me and say, "Did you have your baby?" Uhhhh....I don't quite know how to take that. Either 1) I still look pregnant or 2) you are trying to start convo about the baby and TOTALLY started with the wrong opening sentance....what?!

20. The fact that I am a working mother, despite what others may think, has been nothing but a good thing for our family. It has more benefits than you may know. I would love to spend each and every day raising my son, but like I said, there are MANY advantages. First of all, I get my "adult time." Secondly, it has put us on a wonderful schedule that has benefited Mills more than you can imagine. Thirdly, Mills gets exposure to many different people throughout the day and has TONS of new friends and more on the way, not to mention all of his church buddies. The boy is only 6 months old and has been invited to 3 birthday parties already. You've got to love it! haha

Aaaahhh, now. This mommy is more than open to any suggestions or advice. I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and funny stories. Bring them on!

To Shop...or Not to Shop

For anyone that knows me REALLY well, you know that I love to shop, but LOVE to shop for my house more than anything. I love clothes, but LOVE home decor. So, clothes are usually put on the back burner. Now don't get me wrong, if someone were to drop $1000 off in my mailbox, I'd head straight to the mall and probably blow every last bit of it. Shopping for myself, is just something that I don't do anymore. My Pottery Barn addiction is one that gets the best of me. I haven't bought anything in quite some time, but I frequent the outlet a lot. I used to go about once every two weeks. I didn't always buy something, and most of the time came home empty handed, but hey, it satisfied my "antsyness." Just going, looking, and coming home empty handed, was better than not going it all. Now that Mills is here, I've only been 3 times in the past six months...yikes! There used to be a "lady" that helped me every time I would go to the mall. She knew me as soon as I walked into the store. She would say, "Hey, haven't seen you in few weeks." Bad isn't it? I can tell you one year that Erik and I walked in and this "lady" came up to me and said, "Hey!! I was just wondering if I had missed you the past couple of days. Come in the back and see what new stuff we just got in." Erik looked at me and said, "Amy, that is pitiful! You know the Pottery Barn lady?" Of course it was all of the new Halloween decor that was absolutely adorable, but not on my list for the day.

This morning, as I wake up with my little one, I find the irresistible urge to shop, and not for home decor. I am craving a CLOTHES shopping trip. I have been online looking for about an hour, and have found about a million things that I could go and blow money on! But, there's no money to blow, and there will be no shopping. So, I guess that's a good thing. I don't know if motherhood has sparked a new attraction, but I find myself wanting a whole new wardrobe. What is up with this? Could it be the awesome new fashion trends that all of the stores are sporting? Or could it be that post pregnancy I am one to two sizes larger than I was before, and know that more than likely I will have nothing to wear this summer? My attraction...dresses! Where did the old Amy go? I don't know, but I don't plan on looking for her. I want some clothes!

Cause She's Crafty Like That!

Oh yeah! One of my very best friends, Christi, is one of the craftiest people I know. From baking to painting, or just whatever...she can do it! Our Joey received his very own treat jar today from "Aunt Christi." We have been needing a new one, since this clumsy mommy dropped the top to his other one and broke it into a trillion pieces. Joey gets TONS of treats from Santa every year. They usually last us until the next Christmas. So, it is only appropriate that they have their very own spot. Isn't this cute! Christi used her new cricut to make cute little polka dots and the "Joey's Treats." The cute little striped fire hydrant, which is appropriate for both Joey and his daddy, is made of fabric and decoupaged. Also, notice the cute grosgrain ribbon around the lid...perfect for our spoiled pup. Look! He likes it too! We'll have to be sure to keep it full., because we have one good puppy!!

Snow 2010

"Global warming?" After an unseasonably mild summer '09, and temperatures in the single digits, not to mention the 15" snow we had last year and Friday's big snow, I'm still standing on my beliefs that global warming is just a bunch of nonsense. Sorry, but that's just how I feel about it.

I definitely have cabin fever! I love the snow, but am starting to get over it. If Mills was older, and could actually play in it, I think I would have enjoyed it more, but being that he's not, we've been cooped up since Friday. I wanted to take him out on Friday, when those huge flakes were falling, but the direction that our house sits in relation to the fairway, the wind is absolutely horrid! I didn't want that stinging snow/sleet mix hitting my 6 month old in the face. Not at all. The roads are still pretty rough, but today's sunshine has begun to melt some of it. Still, we haven't been much further than a mile up the street. Being a mom, I didn't want to risk my life, much less my son's. So, at home we've stayed. I hear that the back roads are still just as treacherous as ever, and it looks like it may be days before they are clear. I've been bored out of my mind, and have had no computer, thanks to a nasty virus it received this weekend...thank goodness for Ryan C, because I know absolutely nothing about fixing a computer. Now, the Dell is back at home and running :)


Last night we were invited to our good friends, Chris and Sherry's for chili! Yummy! It was wonderful, and was the perfect thing to gobble up on a cold wintry day. I had planned on fixing chili myself for supper last night, but after their gracious invite, I didn't have to break out my crock pot. Mills had been in his PJ's all day, and so after I got him dressed for our dinner date, I wanted to take him out and get a few pictures with Erik and me. Next year, I hope to have more pics when Mills can actually stand. I didn't have a snow suit and didn't want to put him down in it, especially since we were leaving for dinner. I know....I'm no fun.

Oh Please Tell Me It's...

TEETHING?! At least that's what the doc says. Our Mills is 5 1/2 months old, and wouldn't ya know it, for the past week he has been eating everything in sight. Well, not literally, but is trying to. Last Tuesday, while eating his peas, he proceeds to grab the spoon from my hand, shove it in his mouth, and chew on it while exhibiting extreme pain. May I add that he DID NOT want his peas?! I could tell that something wasn't right. All I knew to do was grab the ora-gel or teething tablets and give them a "whirl." So, after application, and about 2 minutes of wait time, Mills ate his peas.
I picked him up from Mimi June's on Thursday, only to learn that he had an explosive diaper. Normal? No! Runny? Yes! I know...TMI, but its the truth I tell you. Mills does a "bad job" usually only once a day, but that night, during dinner, he had another, and we woke up to another on Friday morning. Oh, and I forgot...he was also running a low grade temperature on Thursday night that was cured with a little Tylenol. And if you remember, E took M to the Dr. on Monday for stuffy nose, which has steadily gotten better each day with out meds. Hallelujah! Since then, his diapers have been "not so good" but we've had no more fever :) Just extreme fussiness and gnawing, and he doesn't like those teethers that you put in the fridge or freezer. He's happy one minute and screaming the next. Tonight, he had a melt down while Erik was trying to feed him his cereal and bananas. We have gone to a starchy diet instead of one that contains a lot of fibers in hopes that he'll quit making me change his sheets every morning...geez! Again..TMI. Good thing is...he's only gone his normal once a day, until tonight. Lets just say that bath time was extra early, before dinner and before his terrible melt down. Can we say screamer? I told E, "bedtime is coming early tonight!" I felt of his gums last week. I could still feel his alveolar ridge (sorry dental terminology...look it up yourselves), but yesterday morning when I checked again, his gums are "bumpy." He is drooling every where, and won't stop shoving his fists in his mouth. Also, his reflux has increased due to "swallowing excess saliva," says Dr. O. That's the only way I know how to explain it. There's definitely something going on in that little mouth of his, but when will Mr. Tooth appear? Two days? Two weeks? Two months? Who knows! This mommy and daddy are getting a bit impatient. Okay, not a bit, A LOT!

He's growing...

E got the pleasure of taking Mills to the doctor for me yesterday morning. Saturday, he woke up with the sniffles again, and so to be cautious, we stayed home from church on Sunday, and I made him a dr's appointment yesterday morning. I don't want him going on forever like he did before Christmas. This weather change is not helping the matter, but he seems to be feeling good. Erik sent me a funny video of him while they were waiting to see the doctor. He was bouncing off the walls...as ususal! Everything checked out good and our little now weighs 15lbs. 10oz. :) No wonder my arms get tired while holding him!

It's Friday It's Friday!

Long time no blog...okay well, maybe not THAT long, but we've been busy bee's around here. I am pleased to announce that our sweet little one has made it a whole week in his crib with no need for his "bouncy bouncy." Last night I put him in his crib after his bedtime bottle, he wasn't asleep, but immediately drifted off to dreamland. I did wake up once in the wee hours of the morning to find him rolling around and trying to put his foot in his mouth. During the night, he takes a full tour of his crib, rolling around, flipping back and forth and so on. So, I just watched and went back to sleep. When he awoke this morning at 6:45, he was lying in bed "talking" to himself, and so I decided that maybe it was time for his "ba-boo." (aka. bottle).

He is doing very well with his new foods! I am beginning to think that green peas, squash, and pears are his favorite. It's funny, because Erik and I don't really eat green peas. Erik can't stand them, and they're just not my favorite, but I may have to start fixing them when Mills gets older. I guess I can "pretend" to like them...after all, I don't want Mills to be a picky eater. So, far he hasn't rejected ANYTHING we've given him, well, except for the first taste of rice cereal from a spoon, so that's good. He will now eat his rice, and so all is well.

Mills' eczema and dry skin are calming down a little bit. Thanks to Kendra for recommending our new body wash and shampoo! Kendra, I think we are going to have to stick with the Aquaphor. I ordered several bottles of it online, because I can't find it anywhere else, and it doesn't seem to be irritating to him at all. I am beginning to think that our Mills is going to take after his mom. I made way too many visits to the dermatologist when I was a little one, and still suffer from extremely dry skin. Seborrhea, which still haunts me, is not a fun thing, and you never get rid of it. So, I am trying to take our little one's skin issues and "nip" them before we take a trip to the dermatologist. Hopefully, we won't have to take that route, and he'll grow out of it, unlike his mother. I have switched detergents and am now using All free & clear instead of Dreft. Dreft, even though it's specifically made for babies, still has frangrance, so I figured I'd try something different. It surely won't hurt.

Here we go again...

You may remember me saying a few months ago, that I was ready to get Mills out of his bouncy and into his crib. Actually, he was in his bouncy in his crib. We wanted him to associate his nursery with bedtime, and so at first, we were willing to do ANYTHING to get some sleep. After finally trying him on his mattress, he slept really well, only waking a couple of times during the night, but then developed congestion AND reflux. So, Dr. O suggested keeping him in his bouncy until the congestion cleared. Well, after weeks and weeks of congestion, an antibiotic was prescribed and it is now completely gone...thank goodness! The reflux is "better," but still with us. I can handle a little bit of spit-up, but the projectile...not so much! Thank you prevacid.

I know that at many times, you have to do what you have to do. As a mom, I am steadily learning that a little bit at a time. I like normal, routine, and so on. Babies aren't supposed to sleep in swings, or bouncy seats, or in our beds. They have their own rooms and beds, and so its been hard letting him sleep in his bouncy seat in his crib. I know there's nothing wrong with it, but it still bothers me. I guess I just don't want him getting used to or depending on his vibrating bouncy seat. It scares me that he may not ever want to sleep any other way. Well, now that he is rolling around everywhere, he wakes in the morning fighting the restraints in his bouncy. He arches his back and attempts to lay on his side, but to no avail, he is unsuccessful, creating mass frustration!

For the past month, I have been telling E, that I can't wait until we can get him out of his bouncy seat. I have been wanting to try it again, but now that he is somewhat mobile, it is even more important to me that he is able to move if he so chooses. I told Erik that I wanted to give it a try on the weekend, when I didn't have to get up early and go to work- just in case we were up all night. So, on Friday night, while E was working, I went upstairs to prepare for bedtime. I placed a phone book under the head of his mattress for a little elevation (how this tiny bit of elevation will help with reflux is beyond me) and cleared his crib of any blankets, toys, etc. Sleep positioners, no matter how tight or loose I make them, do not hold my baby in place. He is a wiggle worm, so I don't even bother with them anymore. And I know what you're thinking...why did I try them to begin with, since they have "bad reviews?"

As bedtime approached, I took our Mills upstairs, read to him, then gave him his night time bottle while saying a prayer, begging and pleading for this new "method" of sleep to work. Making sure that he was good and sound, I placed him on his back, he stirred a bit, and then went back to sleep. He only woke a few times in the night when he realized that he could roll around as he pleased. He would roll to his side and sleep a while. Then he would roll to his belly, then back to his back. When we woke up, his feet were at the head of his bed, but hey, we made it. We've done 2 nights, and so far...so GOOD! Wish us luck!

Play Time

Mills loves his new "gym" that we have in our living room. You may ask why I call it a gym and here's why...we have a swing, an exersaucer, a jumparoo, and an activity mat right here. It looks like toys "r" us delivered it's whole inventory to our house. We alternate between them all during the day and different times. They all have their advantages and Mills loves them all for different reasons of course.

The exersaucer is handy because I can move it around the house. If he decides to wake in the morning before I finish getting ready for work, I put him in it and it occupies him until we get ready to leave. He loves the mirror on it. It is so sweet to see him looking at himself smiling and blowing "raspberries." We use his activity mat so that he can have some floor time. He is able to roll around and play with all of the fun bug rattles and toys. It plays cute little tunes too! He is still a little "short" for his jumparoo, but we managed to "rig" it up by using a sturdy cardboard box top covered with rubber cabinet liner for traction. We place it under his feet, and he jumps around like a little monkey, making us laugh hysterically!