12 month update

Kohen will be a year on Saturday. When I had Kohen all these people at church would say, "cherish these times, it goes by so fast." How true those words were and are. To imagine my life without Kohen in it....I just can't do it. I feel like he has been a part of me forever. I love him in every way possible. He makes me laugh everyday! I honestly can't wait to have more.

Weaning-we will be starting the weaning process next week. Im going to cut out his 3 o'clock feeding for a week and then do his 11 o'clock, then his morning and then his night. This is my plan of attack, it may take a while but I know hes ready.

Eating-Kohen eats all solid food. He eats pretty much anything and everything and a lot of it. He is not picky in any way!

Talking-Here are a few words that Kohen says- Pa Pa, Ma Ma, Da Da, dog, pat, Uh-Oh, Hi, Whats that...oh and woof, woof, woof

Walking/crawling-Major milestone this last week with Kohen. He took three steps by himself and is really wanting to walk but just isn't quite there. He crawls everywhere though.

No- Kohen is very good with 'No." I say it and if he continues doing it then I squeeze his hand, and if he still continues to do it then I slap his hand. He is very good and normally stops with the squeezing.

Sleeping-Kohen has had a few issues these past few weeks-between ear infections, colds, teething, etc. He still takes two naps with the occasional third nap in the car.

Milk- Kohen has been taking breast milk mixed with cows milk for about a week and is doing great. By Saturday I'm hoping that he will be totally on cows milk and I can stop with the breast milk (which will be a SLOW process for me)

Kohen schedule at 12 months-

7:30-wake

fruit, cheerios, milk

independent play

9-nap

11-wake- ham, cheese, crackers, milk

time with mom

1-nap

3/3:30-wake-goldfish

5:30-dinner

time with dad

7-milk,story in bed by 7:30

This is my last posting of Kohen in the baby stage. Sad!

Staying sane as a stay at home mom

This is from a blog that I follow, almost religiously. I thought it was really good and true so I'm sharing it with you.

I think one of the hardest things about having your first baby is that sudden, total isolation you experience. You go from interacting with people at work or school to being home alone all day with a person who doesn't even smile at you, much less talk to you. Getting out isn't easy to do. You either have to pack up a ton of stuff or try to leave with someone like Dad home with the baby, which we all know results in mom stressing the entire time she is gone. And if you are a breastfeeding mother...well...that makes leaving even harder.

These feelings of isolation are common to all mothers, no matter what your parenting style. When Brayden was born, I didn't start following Babywise fully until he was about 9 weeks. I didn't start trying to implement any sort of "pattern" to his day until he was about 4 or o5 weeks. Shooting for a schedule/routine happened more around 7 or 8 weeks. And I felt isolated.

For me, he was my hardest baby to adjust to simply because I had no one to talk to for most of the day. We had just moved to a new neighborhood when Brayden was about 2 weeks old. I knew no one. My parents lived 1.5 hours away. I was the first among my close friends to have a baby, so they were all still working and living lives as usual. My husband was in school and working--gone from before 7 AM until after 8 PM Monday through Saturday...I was alone. When my girls were born, life was much different. I was amazed at even what a difference a little talking two year old could do for my day.

Okay, reminiscing over (but if you are enjoying the ramblings of having a new baby being hard, see the post "A New Baby Is Hard"). Becoming a SAHM is an adjustment. As a SAHM, "There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives.”source

How do we do this job and maintain who we are, who we want to be, and our sanity? Like all topics involved with parenting, I don't think this is something one post on a blog can cover (if this topic is of interest to you, please be sure to read Motherhood: Some Uplifting Words). But hopefully I can give you some ideas, and hopefully you readers will be able to share your own ideas of how you stay sane.

• Maintain Hobbies: Before you had children, you had interests. Did you like to read? Did you like to sew? Scrapbook? Sing? Run? What is it that made you you. Do what you can to maintain these hobbies and interests. I know it is really hard to work these things in as you adjust to a newborn, but sometime around 3-6 months, you should be able to start getting a little bit of hobby time in there. Some babies are really easy newborns and allow you to jump in sooner.
• Start Hobbies: It is never too late to pick up a new hobby. A few months ago, I started to crochet. Now I crochet like crazy. A year ago, I started to run. I wouldn't call myself a runner, but it isn't something I shudder at anymore :). I have plans to take a Master Gardner class and a Photography class with friends in the future. You can always learn new things. Youtube is amazing. You can learn anything off of youtube :)
• Stay Connected: Stay connected to your friends and family. Call people on the phone. Send emails. Stay updated on blogs, etc. Don't cut yourself off.
• Social Networking: Some people might enjoy social networking through various sites. Perhaps Facebook would be your fun. Maybe you would enjoy a Yahoo! group or a site like Babycenter.com. On sites like these, you can find moms who have similar parenting philosophies, moms who sew, moms who are your same religion, moms who have suffered loss, moms with babies born in the same month as yours...you can connect with people who have similar interests to yours.
• Mommy and Me Classes: Some moms really enjoy things like Mommy and Me classes. Maybe swimming lessons would be your answer. A lot of times, these classes are more for mom's sanity than baby's overall improvement, but a happy mom is a better mom :)
• Play Groups: Do you have a good friend or group of friends you could have play groups with? When Brayden was a baby, my friend Kelli and I got together almost weekly for a play day. It was fun for our boys and fun for us. You could also organize something simple and weekly like a day at the park each week. My church does a day at the park every week where moms who want to come, bring a lunch, and visit while the kids play at the park.
• Go Outside: There is something about fresh air and sunshine that helps bring you back to reality sometimes. One of the only things that got Brayden and me through our long days was a daily walk.
• Get Out: Get out of the house sometimes. You know how going grocery shopping is an "out" for moms? Sad but true. Leaving your house reminds you that the world is bigger than your house and that your "problems" aren't so earth shattering after all.
• Exercise: Get some sort of exercise. Tracy Hogg recommends going for walks each day postpartum. I can see why. You get the benefit of fresh air, getting out, and getting your blood flowing. As you can, you can start adding exercise to your day. I remember one night after McKenna was born (she was about three months old), I was feeling overwhelmed and kind of panicky. I ended up going for a run, and when I came back home, I was totally fine. No more worries.
• Serve Others: One of the best ways to forget your own problems is to serve others. Volunteer how and where you can. This can be as simple as bringing a neighbor extra treats. Serve others, but don't think you need to become superwoman who does everything for everyone. As a mom with young children, you have limitations. But you can still serve some even with young children.
• Entertain Friends: Have friends over. You will have fun and you will worry about something other than your children.
• Enjoy the Moment: Enjoy each day for what its. The time you have as a parent of young children is so short in comparison to your entire life. Something I hear consistently from older people is that they wish they had spent more time with their children. Does it get monotonous? Yes. Is it thrilling? Not always. But it is such a short tick on your timeline of life. While trying to maintain sanity, don't go so far that you look past these children you are staying home to raise.
• Focus on What Matters: If you are feeling overwhelmed, cut out the things that are not necessary. You would be amazed what you can cut out of your life and the world keeps on functioning.
• Read Books: Reading books is a great way to stimulate the mind.
• Read Newspapers: Stay current with local, national, and world events.
• Have Date Nights: Go out with your husband on date nights. I think once a week is ideal, though admittedly much easier said than done. If you can't leave your house for a date night, you can be creative with date nights at home after the kids are in bed. Remember the importance of marriage and keep your relationship alive.
• Develop Traditions: Develop traditions that you can all look forward to. Maybe you will decorate for holidays. Maybe you will go to a parade every Fourth of July. Traditions are fun things to look forward to.
• Teach Your Children: Spend time each day teaching your children. For older toddlers and up, you can have fun daily learning activities. You can bake cookies and do art projects.
• Play With Your Children: Take the time to play with your children. You will develop fond memories as well as a relationship. Today I played baseball with my children after lunch and was amazed at their abilities.
• Have Family Activities: Do fun things as a family. Fly kites. Go camping. Go swimming. Go sledding. Plant a garden together. There are so many fun things to do together as a family. Make this time period fun.
• Keep a Journal: Keep a journal of your joys and trials as a mother. You can write a private journal, type it in word, video tape yourself, or even blog about it.

Whew! Lots of ideas to get us going. So what do you do to stay sane? What works for you?

http://www.babywisemom.com/2010/05/staying-sane-as-sahm.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChroniclesOfABabywiseMom+%28Chronicles+of+a+Babywise+Mom%29

My boy

I'm having some serious mixed emotions about my little guy turning one. Too not say "my baby" anymore makes me sad. We will officially be out of the baby stage and into the pre-toddler stage. As I think about this past year and what an indescribable blessing Kohen has been on Jordan and I life, I honestly tear up a little. It has had its times of struggles, but anytime he looks at me and says "ma ma" or giggles when I say "Boo" all those memories of struggles or strife go away. Kohen is what I never knew I always wanted. Jordan and I want plenty more kids but there is always something about your first born. This song lyrics sum up everything I feel~

Little Guy

You came into this world, in a blink of an eye.
Well man how time really flies.
You made me smile, and as a tear fell from my eye.
You lit that room up little guy.
It was the best day of my life.
Now I’m a laugh with you, cry with you, let my love surround you
And I’m dance with you pray for you and wrap my arms around you when you cry
Little guy

Cause I’m gonna be the best dad that I can,
I’ll take you by those little hands.
And when you stumbled, I’ll pick you right up.
I’ll be your number one fan.
And watch you grow into a man.
Now I’m a laugh with you, cry with you, and let my love surround you.
And I’m a dance with you pray for you and wrap my arms around you when you cry,
Little guy
Your gonna grow older and wiser.
And your gonna chase your dreams.
And one day raise a family.
And you’ll know just what I mean.
Son you mean the world to me.
Now I’m a laugh with you, cry with you, let my love surround you.
And I’m a dance with you pray for you and wrap my arms around you when you cry,
Little guy
I’m so glad your mine,
Little guy

Country living

Standing boy

This was a little craft project I accomplished last week. I painted the frame and sanded it down to look antiquie. I then took out the mirror that was in it and put plexi glass it. Got the vinyl quote from Stamp a doodle. Its above Kohens toy box and I thought that it was very appropriate.

Yep, I hang my clothes out to dry on a clothes line

Our family garden is planted

Plant Kohen got for me for Mothers day!

Mothers Day weekend

We started off the weekend by going on a hike to the top of haystack hill. It was exhausting once we got to the top but so worth it. Jordan lasted the first hill an a half, and so I backpacked Kohen to the top and down. He said he wasn't conditioned. =) It was a beautiful day and I packed a little picnic lunch for us once we got to the bottom. We sat and ate next to one of the ponds up at Cedar Springs. It was a wonderful Saturday. We got home and put Kohen down for a nap and I pushed mowed the ENTIRE lawn. I was pretty tired by the end but I wanted to do it! We finished off our amazing Saturday by taking Jordans parents out to dinner to Black Forest. Part Mothers day, part thanks for babysitting Kohen. It is always a great time out with them...many laughs! I love my family!

He's sorry

A good friend from high school- Ryan had his sister-in-law pass away this weekend. She was only 19 and for the family and everyone in the Nooksack community a tragic loss.

He's an amazing writer and wrote this for Haley back in August. I loved the article and so I thought I would share it. His webiste is called- http://handsnfeet.wordpress.com/-Its worth checking out.

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i wrote these words for my dear sister hayley dawn in august. rather than share them with her right away, i thought i would wait for the appropriate time. that time came unexpectedly this past week, at her bedside, with much tears.

hayley dawn, i love you with all my heart, and i know you are now dancing in His presence. i know you are now home.

someday

you’re not likely to read this any time soon, but my heart is heavy this morning with words i feel He wants you to know. so, my hope, as i put these thoughts to words, is that you may someday read them. and on that day, the day He has already ordained, i hope He will use these words to speak directly to your heart.

He’s sorry

i feel like He wants to tell you He’s sorry. He’s sorry that things aren’t more clear for you now. He’s sorry it’s not easier to see how much He loves you. how overwhelming His love is for you, and how He has done more than you will ever know to show you that.

He’s sorry for the pain you’re going through now. but, more importantly, He wants you to know that your pain pales in comparison to the pain He feels for you. and that pain, His pain, pales in comparison to the love He has for you.

from a step to a sprint

He wants you to know that He has done everything to make it better. He wants you to know that He has paid the highest price to make a path from your feet to Himself. He wants you to know that He is cheering you on every single day, that you would take one step in faith toward Him. and one more tomorrow. and another the next day. and He looks forward to the day when those small steps will turn into a brisk walk. and from a brisk walk to a jog. and finally from a jog into a full on sprint into His outstretched arms.

He wants you to know that His desire is for your heart, and that you would joyfully hand it over to Him. and you would, if only you could see, clearly, how deep His love is for you. how much deeper it is than any other love you have ever known.

He wants you to know how He longs to hold you in His arms. and someday He will.

your return home

even though that day is so distant that you can’t see it now, He can. and He is looking forward to that day with great excitement and anticipation. excitement to celebrate your return home.