Friday, May 18, 2012
A time to bounce-and a time to rest
Well friends. It's been a rough week. Lots of tough news regarding sweet friends, tons of allergies, Baby C.Robin is cutting a tooth, I'm stressing about the move to a larger rental home, etc. (Basically I'm not sleeping!)
BUT-In the midst of the craziness, I've been stopping and learning so much about my babies. Stopping to look them in the eyes, hold them, and tell them I love them.
Because they won't be babies forever. (Right?! Somebody tell me they eventually grow up!)
I'm learning Baby Ben is very much like me, Chris, Big Ben, and Robin! What a package! He has my energy, Chris's tendency to seek perfection, Big Ben's intensity, and Robin's ability to never allow anything to get him down.
Lately the noise level of his zest for life has been nuts. It never fails, around 11am Ben turns into a little nymph! He starts running circles around me, waking up the baby from nap time, and leaving me wondering if his feet are even touching the floor.
Ben gets to the point, where I don't even think BEN knows what he's doing. Hyper is an understatement. I can almost SEE the wheels in his little head turning. And eventually it ends with a total and complete melt down, I'm left with two screaming babies, and it's not even noon.
But I've realized Ben is me! He needs quiet. He needs to sit for 10 minutes, build something with his hands, listen to music, and calm down before he melts down. Now I know what you're thinking, he's 2! and that I'm way over analyzing this little dude.
But trust me, it works!
Each time I pick Ben up, grab his baby (stuffed frog) and blanket, sit him on the couch with blocks, he looks up at me almost as if to say "Thanks Momma!". Ben is like me, sometimes he doesn't have an OFF switch. If it wasn't for my precious husband, sometimes I would never stop. I'd whirl around the house from project to project until I'd finally melt down. (But I get a lot done I tell you!!)
It's important to me that I show Baby Ben, that his zest for life, his big personality, and boundless energy, are WONDERFUL blessings that can be used to glorify the Lord. But I also hope I can show him that there is a time to bounce, and a time to rest.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Cooking- My love language.
If you asked Chris what my love language is, I gurantee you at least one of them would be FOOD. Not so much eating it, but making it for others. My first instinct when someone I know is having a bad day, is to make them something yummy.
I think I even get a little depressed if I'm forced to not cook for awhile.
This is one of the reasons that weeks before my c-section, I cooked and froze meals like a crazy lady! I knew I wasn't going to be able to cook for at least two weeks, but I still wanted to be able to provide for my men while I was resting.
This idea turned out to be one of the best ideas I've ever had. It was so nice knowing that diner, lunch, and breakfast were taken care of! All I had to do was tell Chris what to take out of the freezer. Genius idea. And I normally am not known for my genius ideas. Seriously.
I've noticed a trend around me, that one of the most stresful things for stay at home Moms, is preparing dinner with kids running around.
So I wanted to share what I do, and how stress-free it can truly be.
Every two weeks I go to the store and KNOW I'm going to be buying these staples:
Organic milk
Organic non-salted butter
5-6 in bone chicken breast with the skin on
Wild Rice
Ground beef 2-5 lbs
Organic beans in the can: Pinto, black, and kidney beans
Organic canned pumpkin
Organic cage free eggs
Raw milk (this is a new items I've added to my shopping and I am LOVING it!!)
Fresh corn, cooking potatoes, zucchini, apples, spinach, and any other organic produce that catches my eye
Tortillias (These rock! We use them for everything)
pizza dough from the publix bakery
gallon freezer bags
Aluminim foil
Square alumnim baking pans that can be thrown away after use (no dirty dishes!)
Then, two days while Ben is at day school and Baby is sleeping I make these recipes:
Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins:
4 eggs
2 cups raw sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
3 cups flour (I use half unbleached and half whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also add all spice, nutmeg, and cloves)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips (I only use 1/2 cup)
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Makes 24-30 muffins.
I divide these in 2 gallon freezer bags, label them, and defrost for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
3/4 cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
3 cups oats (regular or quick oats)
(I throw in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips)
Beat eggs, sugar and butter together. Mix in baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Stir in milk and oats. Pour into a greased 9×13 foil pan or baking dish and cover well. (Can use a Ziploc freezer bag, if freezing). Freeze.
To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until set in the middle. Serve warm with milk. (We like to sprinkle sugar on top before pouring the milk on.)
If you want to serve it without freezing it first, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then bake it at 350 degrees for 35-45minutes in the morning.
I divide the oat batter into three square aluminum pans to freeze.
Serves 6-8.
Then, I take the chicken breast, drizzle olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper. Stick them in the oven to roast for about an hour. Then I shred the meat, divide into 3 or 4 freezer bags and freeze.
This is what I do with the chicken:
Sprinkle on pizza crust, cover in BBQ sauce, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on it, add purple onion, and bake in a 450 oven for BBQ chicken pizza.
Add taco seasoning and saute with zucchini cut in strips and a can of black beans not drained and serve on tortillas.
Add to a salad of spinach, chopped carrots and boiled egg.
Or use some chicken to make Poppy Seed chicken:
5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 T poppy seeds
Additional Ingredients to make it fancy:
1 tsp Worchestire sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place shredded chicken in a 9X13 casserole dish.
Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream. If you wish to add the additional flavorings stir in the worchestire, celery salt, garlic, lemon juice, and pepper to the soup and sour cream mixture. Pour over the chicken.
In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve plain or over rice. We like to eat it with steamed broccoli and we mix it all together. OR, put together entire dish in two aluminum disposable pans, cover with foil, label, and freeze.
I always keep at least two pans of this in my deep freeze.
Then- I brown 2-5 lbs of organic lean ground beef. I season with taco seasoning, and divide into one lb measurements and put in gallon freezer bags.
Here are ideas on how to use the taco meat:
Add fresh corn, pinto and kidney beans and eat as tacos or nachos
Or make rattle snake bites! Which is one of Ben's favorite dinners.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies ( I use black or pinto beans instead)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and chilies over medium heat until heated through. Add the cream cheese, cumin and chili powder. Cool slightly.
Separate crescent dough into 24 triangles. Place 1 tablespoon of beef mixture along the short end of each triangle; carefully roll up.
Place point side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.
Or use it to make twice baked potatoes! (This can be prepared beforehand and frozen as well)
4 medium russet potatoes
8 oz grounf beed
1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 scallions, sliced
Wash well, Bake potatoes in a 400' degree oven until tender, about an hour.
Steam or boil the broccoli until tender
Carefully cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes; reserve the tops for another use. Scoop out the insides into a medium bowl. Place the potato shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup Cheddar, sour cream, salt and pepper to the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions and the potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine.
Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 7 minutes.
There are SO many more easy and incredibly recipes I make and then freeze,but these are my tried and true ones. As I try new recipes I will have to update the blog.
But for now, try these ideas! And let your freezer be your new bff.
I think I even get a little depressed if I'm forced to not cook for awhile.
This is one of the reasons that weeks before my c-section, I cooked and froze meals like a crazy lady! I knew I wasn't going to be able to cook for at least two weeks, but I still wanted to be able to provide for my men while I was resting.
This idea turned out to be one of the best ideas I've ever had. It was so nice knowing that diner, lunch, and breakfast were taken care of! All I had to do was tell Chris what to take out of the freezer. Genius idea. And I normally am not known for my genius ideas. Seriously.
I've noticed a trend around me, that one of the most stresful things for stay at home Moms, is preparing dinner with kids running around.
So I wanted to share what I do, and how stress-free it can truly be.
Every two weeks I go to the store and KNOW I'm going to be buying these staples:
Organic milk
Organic non-salted butter
5-6 in bone chicken breast with the skin on
Wild Rice
Ground beef 2-5 lbs
Organic beans in the can: Pinto, black, and kidney beans
Organic canned pumpkin
Organic cage free eggs
Raw milk (this is a new items I've added to my shopping and I am LOVING it!!)
Fresh corn, cooking potatoes, zucchini, apples, spinach, and any other organic produce that catches my eye
Tortillias (These rock! We use them for everything)
pizza dough from the publix bakery
gallon freezer bags
Aluminim foil
Square alumnim baking pans that can be thrown away after use (no dirty dishes!)
Then, two days while Ben is at day school and Baby is sleeping I make these recipes:
Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins:
4 eggs
2 cups raw sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
3 cups flour (I use half unbleached and half whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also add all spice, nutmeg, and cloves)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips (I only use 1/2 cup)
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Makes 24-30 muffins.
I divide these in 2 gallon freezer bags, label them, and defrost for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
3/4 cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
3 cups oats (regular or quick oats)
(I throw in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips)
Beat eggs, sugar and butter together. Mix in baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Stir in milk and oats. Pour into a greased 9×13 foil pan or baking dish and cover well. (Can use a Ziploc freezer bag, if freezing). Freeze.
To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until set in the middle. Serve warm with milk. (We like to sprinkle sugar on top before pouring the milk on.)
If you want to serve it without freezing it first, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then bake it at 350 degrees for 35-45minutes in the morning.
I divide the oat batter into three square aluminum pans to freeze.
Serves 6-8.
Then, I take the chicken breast, drizzle olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper. Stick them in the oven to roast for about an hour. Then I shred the meat, divide into 3 or 4 freezer bags and freeze.
This is what I do with the chicken:
Sprinkle on pizza crust, cover in BBQ sauce, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on it, add purple onion, and bake in a 450 oven for BBQ chicken pizza.
Add taco seasoning and saute with zucchini cut in strips and a can of black beans not drained and serve on tortillas.
Add to a salad of spinach, chopped carrots and boiled egg.
Or use some chicken to make Poppy Seed chicken:
5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 T poppy seeds
Additional Ingredients to make it fancy:
1 tsp Worchestire sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place shredded chicken in a 9X13 casserole dish.
Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream. If you wish to add the additional flavorings stir in the worchestire, celery salt, garlic, lemon juice, and pepper to the soup and sour cream mixture. Pour over the chicken.
In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve plain or over rice. We like to eat it with steamed broccoli and we mix it all together. OR, put together entire dish in two aluminum disposable pans, cover with foil, label, and freeze.
I always keep at least two pans of this in my deep freeze.
Then- I brown 2-5 lbs of organic lean ground beef. I season with taco seasoning, and divide into one lb measurements and put in gallon freezer bags.
Here are ideas on how to use the taco meat:
Add fresh corn, pinto and kidney beans and eat as tacos or nachos
Or make rattle snake bites! Which is one of Ben's favorite dinners.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies ( I use black or pinto beans instead)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and chilies over medium heat until heated through. Add the cream cheese, cumin and chili powder. Cool slightly.
Separate crescent dough into 24 triangles. Place 1 tablespoon of beef mixture along the short end of each triangle; carefully roll up.
Place point side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.
Or use it to make twice baked potatoes! (This can be prepared beforehand and frozen as well)
4 medium russet potatoes
8 oz grounf beed
1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 scallions, sliced
Wash well, Bake potatoes in a 400' degree oven until tender, about an hour.
Steam or boil the broccoli until tender
Carefully cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes; reserve the tops for another use. Scoop out the insides into a medium bowl. Place the potato shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup Cheddar, sour cream, salt and pepper to the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions and the potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine.
Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 7 minutes.
There are SO many more easy and incredibly recipes I make and then freeze,but these are my tried and true ones. As I try new recipes I will have to update the blog.
But for now, try these ideas! And let your freezer be your new bff.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Chocolate covered raisins and crib hoppin'
Time has truly flown by, here in Merrifield-land.
Suddenly Christopher Robin will be TWO months old in three days. I can't believe it. I feel like we just had him.
Of course it doesn't help, that he truly is a dream baby. Yes he still wakes up for feedings at 12 and 4am, but compared to Ben at that age, he's amazing! He is on a great schedule, and truly has a precious little personality. He's smiling and holding his head up so well. Mommy is so proud!
Speaking of Ben...That stinker gets cuter every day. It's unbelievable. He also gets in more trouble every day :) That little boy throws a temper tantrum when the wind blows. I find myself having a hard time navigating this new "Ben". I realize, as with most things with toddlers, that this is a phase, but dang it, it's a tough one! But it is such a reminder to me that we are all a bunch of sinners. I often times want to make his actions all about ME. "What am I doing wrong?", but I'm learning through prayer and lots of time spent in the word lately, that I have to take myself out of the equation. Ben having tantrums isn't about me. It's about a two year old, trying to communicate, and getting mad when he doesn't get chocolate covered raisins for breakfast. It's hard to believe in the midst of it, but it's truly that simple. He's a tiny little sinner, who wants me to know he's mad for not being able to eat the chocolate covered raisins.
Aside from tantrums, Ben has also been keeping us quite busy by crawling out of his crib. That kid can scale his crib and hop down to the floor in 10 seconds flat. It's impressive. But also dangerous. It looks like it's time to transition him to a big boy bed. Chris and I can officially kiss our alone time good bye ;)
The only positive that has come from Benny's crib hoppin' is that my parents must have heard the desperation in my voice in our recent phone calls, because they immediately setting about plans to come see us at the end of April. Thank you Jesus!!! We need some Mimsey and Daddy Jim. Ben will be so excited to see them!
And who knows, maybe Chris and I can go on a date, that doesn't involve a splash pad or the Shamu show....
That's all for now folks. I hear my boss (Christopher Robin) waking up.
Suddenly Christopher Robin will be TWO months old in three days. I can't believe it. I feel like we just had him.
Of course it doesn't help, that he truly is a dream baby. Yes he still wakes up for feedings at 12 and 4am, but compared to Ben at that age, he's amazing! He is on a great schedule, and truly has a precious little personality. He's smiling and holding his head up so well. Mommy is so proud!
Speaking of Ben...That stinker gets cuter every day. It's unbelievable. He also gets in more trouble every day :) That little boy throws a temper tantrum when the wind blows. I find myself having a hard time navigating this new "Ben". I realize, as with most things with toddlers, that this is a phase, but dang it, it's a tough one! But it is such a reminder to me that we are all a bunch of sinners. I often times want to make his actions all about ME. "What am I doing wrong?", but I'm learning through prayer and lots of time spent in the word lately, that I have to take myself out of the equation. Ben having tantrums isn't about me. It's about a two year old, trying to communicate, and getting mad when he doesn't get chocolate covered raisins for breakfast. It's hard to believe in the midst of it, but it's truly that simple. He's a tiny little sinner, who wants me to know he's mad for not being able to eat the chocolate covered raisins.
Aside from tantrums, Ben has also been keeping us quite busy by crawling out of his crib. That kid can scale his crib and hop down to the floor in 10 seconds flat. It's impressive. But also dangerous. It looks like it's time to transition him to a big boy bed. Chris and I can officially kiss our alone time good bye ;)
The only positive that has come from Benny's crib hoppin' is that my parents must have heard the desperation in my voice in our recent phone calls, because they immediately setting about plans to come see us at the end of April. Thank you Jesus!!! We need some Mimsey and Daddy Jim. Ben will be so excited to see them!
And who knows, maybe Chris and I can go on a date, that doesn't involve a splash pad or the Shamu show....
That's all for now folks. I hear my boss (Christopher Robin) waking up.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Fly to Jesus
Today is Big Ben's birthday. Saturday will be the 7th anniversary of his death. This has been a pretty tough week for me. I think I'm struggling with so many emotions, but most of all I'm grieving that Ben will never meet either of my precious babies on this earth. I am so blessed that Chris and Ben were such good friends, and that we share a common grief during this week, in losing someone who was so precious to us. Normally I've got a lot to say, but this week has found me quiet and sad. This week I've felt like I'm sitting in church with all my dearest friends, surrounded by love and encouragement as everyone sings songs of worship. But I find myself unable to even form the words, much less sing, because my heart is so broken. So I'll just listen, and praise the Lord that Ben's suffering came to an end 7 years ago.
Untitled Hymn-Chris Rice
Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!
Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!
And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!
Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!
O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!
And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!
Untitled Hymn-Chris Rice
Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!
Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!
And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!
Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!
O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!
And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Plans!
I know, I know..It's been FOREVER. It's been so long since I blogged, that I don't even have a blog entry about being PREGNANT with sweet Christopher Robin! (Who by the way, will be a month old tomorrow!!) But in my defense, I've been a bit busy. Being pregnant, being a Momma to my little stinker Baby Ben, being a wife to my hilarious hubby, and stalking people on facebook (I'm also currently addicted to pinterest in a totally unhealthy way. These are idols. I know! I'm workin' on letting go) as well as giving birth to Christopher Robin on January 28h.
Which is why I felt like I needed to blog. I really can't let the story of his birthday go untold any longer. It's a pretty cool tale :)
Christopher Robin was SUPPOSED to be here on Valentines day. February 14th 2012 at 10:30am. I was so darn excited to have this set in stone plan. I had it all planned perfectly. NOTHING in my life has ever worked out in an orderly fashion, so to have a scheduled c-section, was a pretty big deal for this little lady. I was tickled pink (Valentines day, pink, get it?! haha).
However, as I know from previous experiences (Ben= born at 32 weeks. Enough said) MY best plans, are never quite in line with what the Lord has planned.
January 28th was a tough morning for me. I was super pregnant, Ben was driving me nuts, and I was trying to get us both dressed and out the door to have lunch with my Aunt Nancy, who was in town with her husband, my Uncle David. We made it out the door and to lunch with all our clothes on, and had a wonderful time. Aunt Nancy is precious. She was so encouraging, full of great advice, and even walked Ben around Park Ave so I could finish my lunch without Ben diving into my lap. On the way home I called my Mom to talk, and I remember telling her how encouraged and special I felt after that lunch.
Fast forward 4 hours later- Ben was down for a nap, I had been watching trashy reality tv on the couch for a good hour, when all the sudden something did not feel right. I'm a big believer that when you're pregnant, you should really listen to your body.
I quickly got up and got my blood pressure cuff to check my blood pressure. It was 157/90 (It would eventually climb up to 170/110). I called my doctors office. The doctor on call informed me to quickly head to the ER. I think I said a couple cuss words. Well, more than a couple. This was not perfect timing. Chris was at work, all the way at the airport. My parents were not scheduled to come down and stay with Ben until February 12th!! And Momma Mimsey wasn't answering her phone. Dang it. Not to mention I hadn't completed my list of recipes I wanted to make and freeze. Don't even get me started on the fact that I hadn't even ordered the pajamas I wanted to wear in the hospital!Geez Louis. Never. Ever. Planning anything again.
After much prayer, I called both my best friends here in Orlando to help. Jessie and Katie. Jessie took care of Ben while I packed and waited on Chris to get home. Then Katie took over and spent the night with Ben. Nothing in this world could describe the complete since of calm I felt, knowing that my precious boy was being taken care of by my sweet friends, who love him dearly. Don't get me wrong, I still cried all the way to the hospital, but that was just me being a crazy preggo lady.
Chris and I got to the hospital at 6pm. We had test done, lab work done, tons of blood drawn, until finally at 11pm, the doctor gave the go ahead for a c-section. I was 36 1/2 weeks, and we just could not risk my health, or the baby's any longer.
There were some funny moments that I have to mention between our drive to the hospital, and the baby being born. My personal two favorites are: Chris almost getting into a fist fight with a drunk guy on Orange Ave, and me not being able to stop giggling because I thought the doctor on call in triage had hair plugs.
Finally, at 3:30am in the morning, sweet Christopher Robin was born. And the coolest thing of all, Chris and I weren't without family at the hospital that night. Aunt Nancy and Uncle David stayed up ALL night, just to be there for us, and meet Christopher Robin. I'll never be able to thank them enough for that. Just knowing they were there, was so comforting.
Aside from Ben's birth, I've never experienced so many different emotions. Total and all consuming fear of the unknown. Joy. Love. Contentment, when they placed Christopher Robin in my arms for the first time. Nothing compares to being able to hold that precious baby for the first time.
Chris and I are blessed that the tough times always seem to draw us closer. Which is great, because in our two years of marriage, times have been pretty wild!
Chris always says I'm his favorite person in times of crisis. And I feel the same way about him :) I've never felt more love for Chris, than when our babies were born. I remember looking up at him while I was holding Christopher Robin and thinking "This is it. This is all consuming, lay down your life for another, love"
We are so blessed.
And I'm throwing out my calendar. Plans just don't work for us :)
Which is why I felt like I needed to blog. I really can't let the story of his birthday go untold any longer. It's a pretty cool tale :)
Christopher Robin was SUPPOSED to be here on Valentines day. February 14th 2012 at 10:30am. I was so darn excited to have this set in stone plan. I had it all planned perfectly. NOTHING in my life has ever worked out in an orderly fashion, so to have a scheduled c-section, was a pretty big deal for this little lady. I was tickled pink (Valentines day, pink, get it?! haha).
However, as I know from previous experiences (Ben= born at 32 weeks. Enough said) MY best plans, are never quite in line with what the Lord has planned.
January 28th was a tough morning for me. I was super pregnant, Ben was driving me nuts, and I was trying to get us both dressed and out the door to have lunch with my Aunt Nancy, who was in town with her husband, my Uncle David. We made it out the door and to lunch with all our clothes on, and had a wonderful time. Aunt Nancy is precious. She was so encouraging, full of great advice, and even walked Ben around Park Ave so I could finish my lunch without Ben diving into my lap. On the way home I called my Mom to talk, and I remember telling her how encouraged and special I felt after that lunch.
Fast forward 4 hours later- Ben was down for a nap, I had been watching trashy reality tv on the couch for a good hour, when all the sudden something did not feel right. I'm a big believer that when you're pregnant, you should really listen to your body.
I quickly got up and got my blood pressure cuff to check my blood pressure. It was 157/90 (It would eventually climb up to 170/110). I called my doctors office. The doctor on call informed me to quickly head to the ER. I think I said a couple cuss words. Well, more than a couple. This was not perfect timing. Chris was at work, all the way at the airport. My parents were not scheduled to come down and stay with Ben until February 12th!! And Momma Mimsey wasn't answering her phone. Dang it. Not to mention I hadn't completed my list of recipes I wanted to make and freeze. Don't even get me started on the fact that I hadn't even ordered the pajamas I wanted to wear in the hospital!Geez Louis. Never. Ever. Planning anything again.
After much prayer, I called both my best friends here in Orlando to help. Jessie and Katie. Jessie took care of Ben while I packed and waited on Chris to get home. Then Katie took over and spent the night with Ben. Nothing in this world could describe the complete since of calm I felt, knowing that my precious boy was being taken care of by my sweet friends, who love him dearly. Don't get me wrong, I still cried all the way to the hospital, but that was just me being a crazy preggo lady.
Chris and I got to the hospital at 6pm. We had test done, lab work done, tons of blood drawn, until finally at 11pm, the doctor gave the go ahead for a c-section. I was 36 1/2 weeks, and we just could not risk my health, or the baby's any longer.
There were some funny moments that I have to mention between our drive to the hospital, and the baby being born. My personal two favorites are: Chris almost getting into a fist fight with a drunk guy on Orange Ave, and me not being able to stop giggling because I thought the doctor on call in triage had hair plugs.
Finally, at 3:30am in the morning, sweet Christopher Robin was born. And the coolest thing of all, Chris and I weren't without family at the hospital that night. Aunt Nancy and Uncle David stayed up ALL night, just to be there for us, and meet Christopher Robin. I'll never be able to thank them enough for that. Just knowing they were there, was so comforting.
Aside from Ben's birth, I've never experienced so many different emotions. Total and all consuming fear of the unknown. Joy. Love. Contentment, when they placed Christopher Robin in my arms for the first time. Nothing compares to being able to hold that precious baby for the first time.
Chris and I are blessed that the tough times always seem to draw us closer. Which is great, because in our two years of marriage, times have been pretty wild!
Chris always says I'm his favorite person in times of crisis. And I feel the same way about him :) I've never felt more love for Chris, than when our babies were born. I remember looking up at him while I was holding Christopher Robin and thinking "This is it. This is all consuming, lay down your life for another, love"
We are so blessed.
And I'm throwing out my calendar. Plans just don't work for us :)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
It's gettin' hot in here!
It's been a hot minute since I blogged! And I mean a HOT minute. Everywhere we've been recently has been so dadgum HOT! It's HOT here in Florida, and it was even hotter in MS, where Baby and I just got back from visiting.
Hot in Florida, somehow resemble summers spent with my grandparents. Days spent playing under big shade trees, swimming in the pool, and eating ice cream.
Hot in MS brings me back to my childhood. Mornings spent riding horses, and afternoons spent jumping into their water troughs! Sounds gross, but water is water!
It really doesn't get any better, than sitting out on my parents porch with my dearest friend, sipping on ice cold white wine, when it's 8pm and it's still hot enough to fry an egg on the driveway.
Maybe it's because MS knows me a little too well, maybe it's because my sweet puppy Duchess isn't alive and waiting for me in my parents backyard, but there was something different about coming "home" this time. Something sweet and dear, but also something telling me, that my precious family's "home" isn't there any longer. It's with my incredible husband and my wild and crazy Baby Ben :)
Hot in Florida, somehow resemble summers spent with my grandparents. Days spent playing under big shade trees, swimming in the pool, and eating ice cream.
Hot in MS brings me back to my childhood. Mornings spent riding horses, and afternoons spent jumping into their water troughs! Sounds gross, but water is water!
It really doesn't get any better, than sitting out on my parents porch with my dearest friend, sipping on ice cold white wine, when it's 8pm and it's still hot enough to fry an egg on the driveway.
Maybe it's because MS knows me a little too well, maybe it's because my sweet puppy Duchess isn't alive and waiting for me in my parents backyard, but there was something different about coming "home" this time. Something sweet and dear, but also something telling me, that my precious family's "home" isn't there any longer. It's with my incredible husband and my wild and crazy Baby Ben :)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Kick Kick Kick!
(My Grandmother Puddie died last fall. She was the third family member I've lost in the past 6 years, who had an incredibly deep impact on who I am now as an adult. It's taken me months to write about her, but hopefully this does her memory justice.)
If I close my eyes really tight, and the hot summer wind blows my hair, I can still feel the sting of the chlorinated water in my nose, and I SWEAR I can hear my grandmother, Puddie's voice.
I hear her teaching me my name, on a very long car ride to see my cousins in Atlanta.
M-A-R-Y K-A-T-H-R-Y-N F-L-A-N-G-A-N. Over and over and over again.
(Sure wish she'd been available when I got married and changed my last name! Merrifield took some time to spell correctly!!)
I can see the exact shade of lipstick she always wore, in a silver tube. I can't smell Chanel number 5 without picturing her. Puddie. In her worn out tennis shoes. T shirt knotted at her hip. Shorts on. Short dark hair. Incredible smile. I'm pretty sure I remember every thing of importance she ever told me. "Don't smack your gum. You'll sound like a cow chewing cud!"
I had zero clue what cud was at the time, but I never smacked my gum again.
Puddie was the first person (besides my precious parents) who made me feel like I was something pretty special. I've never felt so treasured, than when I was with her.
She made me feel, like we were the only two people on this earth. Time would stand still, and it would be just us two. Puddie always let me know, that my outlook on life was perfection. She'd say "That Mary Kate! She was born happy!" (I think she stole that from my Momma..but who's counting?:)
Puddie taught me so many things. Like, drinking was called "A swallow". Example- "Let me have just a swallow of that water!" She taught me how to tie my shoes. How to jump rope. How to skip. How to dive. How to make an angel food cake. And she didn't bat an eye lash when I told her I felt like it was a good idea to add gum balls to it. She measured out a cup, and mixed them right in.
Yummy!
I grew up pretty positive that, that back room at their house was called "The Doo-Witchy". Turns out it was the pool room...But doo-witchy sounds better in my opinion.
My love of swimming comes from Puddie. I'd never met anyone in this whole world who loved to swim like Puddie did. I learned early on, that peace could be found swimming laps. Even to this day, I feel myself calm down the instant my body is in water. As soon as my head goes under, I hear Puddie yelling "Kick! Kick! Kick!!! Kick!!!"
You'd think she would have grown tired of telling us kids to push harder. To keep our head straight. To kick just a little stronger. Just a little faster.
But she never did.
I can't help but laugh when I'm in our pool here in Florida with my Baby Ben. He kicks. He giggles. He slaps the water. He laughs hysterically. He tries to jump out of my arms into the water. But I hold on tight. Because he's just not ready.
Puddie taught me, that even in the worst times, to focus on keeping my head above water. To tread water when I'm out in the deep end. And to just keep kicking.
So these days, when I'm at the end of my rope and all the chips are down. I close my eyes. And I hear "Kick kick kick kick kick!"
If I close my eyes really tight, and the hot summer wind blows my hair, I can still feel the sting of the chlorinated water in my nose, and I SWEAR I can hear my grandmother, Puddie's voice.
I hear her teaching me my name, on a very long car ride to see my cousins in Atlanta.
M-A-R-Y K-A-T-H-R-Y-N F-L-A-N-G-A-N. Over and over and over again.
(Sure wish she'd been available when I got married and changed my last name! Merrifield took some time to spell correctly!!)
I can see the exact shade of lipstick she always wore, in a silver tube. I can't smell Chanel number 5 without picturing her. Puddie. In her worn out tennis shoes. T shirt knotted at her hip. Shorts on. Short dark hair. Incredible smile. I'm pretty sure I remember every thing of importance she ever told me. "Don't smack your gum. You'll sound like a cow chewing cud!"
I had zero clue what cud was at the time, but I never smacked my gum again.
Puddie was the first person (besides my precious parents) who made me feel like I was something pretty special. I've never felt so treasured, than when I was with her.
She made me feel, like we were the only two people on this earth. Time would stand still, and it would be just us two. Puddie always let me know, that my outlook on life was perfection. She'd say "That Mary Kate! She was born happy!" (I think she stole that from my Momma..but who's counting?:)
Puddie taught me so many things. Like, drinking was called "A swallow". Example- "Let me have just a swallow of that water!" She taught me how to tie my shoes. How to jump rope. How to skip. How to dive. How to make an angel food cake. And she didn't bat an eye lash when I told her I felt like it was a good idea to add gum balls to it. She measured out a cup, and mixed them right in.
Yummy!
I grew up pretty positive that, that back room at their house was called "The Doo-Witchy". Turns out it was the pool room...But doo-witchy sounds better in my opinion.
My love of swimming comes from Puddie. I'd never met anyone in this whole world who loved to swim like Puddie did. I learned early on, that peace could be found swimming laps. Even to this day, I feel myself calm down the instant my body is in water. As soon as my head goes under, I hear Puddie yelling "Kick! Kick! Kick!!! Kick!!!"
You'd think she would have grown tired of telling us kids to push harder. To keep our head straight. To kick just a little stronger. Just a little faster.
But she never did.
I can't help but laugh when I'm in our pool here in Florida with my Baby Ben. He kicks. He giggles. He slaps the water. He laughs hysterically. He tries to jump out of my arms into the water. But I hold on tight. Because he's just not ready.
Puddie taught me, that even in the worst times, to focus on keeping my head above water. To tread water when I'm out in the deep end. And to just keep kicking.
So these days, when I'm at the end of my rope and all the chips are down. I close my eyes. And I hear "Kick kick kick kick kick!"
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