"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus"

We love this book! Okay, so, I love this book, but Mills will surely learn to love it. I have read it to him several times, and believe it or not, he sits pretty still and listens....well, maybe not, but at least I am trying to plant a seed. Nana bought this book for Mills for Christmas. I am a huge fan of books that have received the Caldecott Medal, and this just happens to be one of them. This books is original and so hilarious. When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very contrary pigeon steps in a volunteers to take his place. I just found out tonight that there are more "Don't let the Pigeon..." books. Thanks Christi!!! This mommy needs coaching. I'll have to check them out, but for now, LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

I think someone needs these! ;)

Sitting Up

We've been working on sitting for a few weeks. Mills has done pretty well with it, but tonight he actually sat up for a while without my support and was able to catch himself (to some degree) when he would lose his balance. Another milestone reached!

6 Month Stats...

Today, we went for Mills' 6 month checkup and shots. His stats: 16lbs. 4oz. 25.5". He is getting quite heavy, I must say. He did wonderful, as usual, and we left with all vaccinations, seasonal flu, and the H1N1 vaccine. Mills cried for about 15 seconds, but we made it all better with a bottle. After lunch at Pei Wei, one of our favorites, we headed to BabyGap for some shopping. Our little one has far outgrown his 3-6 month apparel, and desperately needed some "every day" clothes for outings and Mimi June's. We were a little short in that department, but are overloaded with all other sizes. I actually broke down and bought the child some blue jeans, something I said I would not let him wear until he got closer to a year old, but they are "alright." I prefer soft, light colored, simple clothing, that looks more "babyish," for his age, but there aren't many options for boys, and since I am EXTREMELY picky about what he wears, I had to settle. I have found that BabyGap has more simple things, but "fun and funky" too. All of his Carter's items "ball up" after the first wash, and I even have to watch his "stretchies" from Children's Place. I LOVE THOSE! They have zippers instead of snaps, that make diaper changes in the middle of the night (only if needed) alot easier, but will ball up if they are thrown into the dryer. Oh well, we'll see how he looks in his new jeans ;)

Isn't this onesie fabulous? It cracks me up with it's "vintage" look ;)

Radio Tax?

While listening to the radio this morning, ( I listen to K-LOVE 95% of the time), they were discussing this new "radio tax." The recording industry wants to impose a performance tax that would financially hurt local and non-profit radio stations, who rely heavily on listener donations. This alarmed me, because K-Love is 100% listener supported. Supposedly, this new "fee" which is supposed to help struggling artists, will actually send half of it's fee's to major record companies, many of which are foreign owned. This could cause many of the radio stations to stop playing music or simply become extinct. Especially the one's who are non-profit stations, such as K-LOVE, who like I said, is listener supported. Each year this station has a radio-thon to raise funds, just so that it can operate the following year. K-Love is a wonderful ministry! I don't know if any of you listen to it, but if you need a quick "pick-me-up," K-Love is an excellent lifter, and like they say, "positive, encouraging."
I didn't know if any of you have heard of this, yet. So, I wanted to get the word out. Here is a link for more information in case you are interested in knowing more and how to help.

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Mommy attempts to feed Mills his new Oatmeal/Banana cereal. Mills decides to feed himself by jerking the spoon out of Mommy's hands. Should I tell him that it's not time for him to start this yet?

Love, Love, Love

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 wit the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1Corinthians 13:1-13

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! Mills has had quite an eventful Valentine's, and has been showered with several things. Last night, he had a visit from Papa B and Manda. He received the cutest little puppy dog and a monkey balloon. The dog is so cute and different. It reminds me of a leathery fabric. Mills loved it! See, he is giving it kisses already.



This morning, his daddy came home with a sweet card for him, and me too ;). It was awfully sweet for him to do that, especially since we normally don't acknowledge the holiday. But, like I said before, we will start. We had lunch after church and his Nana came over afterwards and brought him a Valentine monkey (you know we LOVE monkeys) and a book called "How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight." We read it tonight before bedtime after our Bible story. It was too cute!

On this monkey, there is a heart with "Jeremiah 31:3," Which says: "The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.

This afternoon, Gammy and Pops came by to drop off a Valentine gift for our Mills, as well. He is ready for summertime with his new "flops" and trunks. We'll be sure to take them on our beach trip that we will be planning. Mills is truly loved by all of his grandparents, what a blessing they are.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6

Lunch vs. Naptime

Lunch must have been over exhausting to Mills. The poor little guy would open wide, take a bite, and then his head would slump, eyes closed. He usually isn't a messy eater, but when his head was swaying, it was hard for mommy to find his mouth. Yes, those are prunes...and squash too. Sometimes a kid just needs some prunes...if you know what I mean.

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!