Saturday, December 31, 2011

My 12 In 2012

This year has gone by so quickly and I cant believe that tomorrow we will be welcoming a whole new year! I'm not usually one for new years resolutions but this year I would really like to focus on accomplishing a few goals that have been really important to me for awhile now. I got this great idea from Gretchen over at That Mama Gretchen to come up with 12 goals that I'd hope to accomplish in 2012.

So here is my 12 in 2012:

:: Faith. I've really put my relationship with Jesus on the back burner lately and I want to make it a priority to take the time to have a relationship with him. Praying, reading the bible, teaching my daughter about Jesus.

:: My relationship with Mike. It's easy for your relationship to take a backseat once you become a parent and I really want that to change. Date nights and time each day getting to know the man I love is really important to me.

:: Homemade. The sad truth is I don't cook very much but I really, really want to start. My goal is to start cooking a few homemade meals a couple times a week and work up from there.

:: Eating natural and organic. In combination to cooking and eating more homemade foods I want to also implement more organic foods into our diets.

:: Make my own cleaning products. This is something I have wanted to do for such a long time but for some reason never did it. I found a list of recipes here  for homemade cleaning products and am so excited to try them out.

:: Take better care of myself. I'm sick of looking like I just rolled out of bed all the time. I want to look pretty and feel confident in myself. Even if I'm just staying home I need to change into some "real clothes", and take the time to do my hair and makeup.

:: Exercise. It has been way to long since I have exercised and oh man do I miss it so much. My goal is to start an exercise routine even if its just going on a walk everyday.

:: Learn to crochet. I just think it would be such a fun and useful thing to know how to do!
:: Read books. Since becoming pregnant the only books I've read are about pregnancy and parenting. It's time to start learning and reading about other things that really interest me!

:: Blog more. Lately I've had major writers block and its driving me crazy. I just want to write from my heart and let go of the idea that every word has to be perfect.

:: New camera. I want to start saving up to buy a really nice slr digital camera. Right now all I have is my phone and I really miss being able to take good quality pictures.

:: Prepare for a VBAC. We are still ways off from having another baby but I'd like to start now preparing myself now for a natural VBAC.

Wish me luck!

What's your 12 in 2012? Go link up here!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Dear Chloe: You Lately


My Dearest Chloe,

what a busy month you've had!. I cant believe how much you have grown and learned over these past few weeks and that you my dear will soon be 7 months old! Here's what you've been up to my little love!

Last Saturday your Daddy and I took you shopping at babies r us because your GG (Great Grandmother) bought you a gift card to use there, which was just so sweet and thoughtful of her! We thought it would be fun to let you sit in the shopping cart like a big girl, and of course you loved it! You had so much fun riding around the store looking at everything! And thanks to your GG we were able to get you a high chair, a very cute sleeper, a few things to help us babyproof the apartment, and some organic baby mum mums and apple puffs!


Yesterday we gave you your first bath in your ducky bathtub, and you loved it! You had so much fun splashing around in the warm water! I cant believe what a big girl you are becoming!


You love to practice standing


A few days ago you played in your jumper for the second time. I'm still not to sure if you really enjoy playing in it all that much though! We loved celebrating your first Christmas with you and are so excited to share the joy of Christmas with you ever year! You are the greatness gift we ever have ever received my sweet Chloe! Your Daddy and I are so incredibly proud of you and cant believe just how fast you are growing!   

Love you forever and ever and ever my little love,

Mama

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas



We want to wish everyone a wonderful, merry Christmas! We hope your day is filled with lots of love, laughter, and special time with family!

Love, Mike, Jennifer

& sweet baby Chloe

Friday, December 23, 2011

This Time of Year


Its hard to believe that Christmas is only 2 days away, that the month of December is coming to an end,  and that in 9 days we will welcome the new year with outstretched arms and hopeful hearts. I cant help but think about this time last year, when Chloe was still growing in my belly, when we didn't even know we were having a sweet baby girl, when all I could do was daydream about celebrating Christmas as a family of three and sharing the love and joy that knowing Jesus brings with my baby.

I'm not going to lie, this Christmas inst what I daydreamed it would be. The realization that I will always remember this season in our life as a time of great trials and tribulations is a little saddening to me. I'm trying to remind myself that though this year has been full of challenges I still have so much to thank Jesus for. My daughter is perfect, and healthy, my husband and I are alive, healthy and together, we have food and shelter, and amazing family and friends that love and support us!

And for all that I feel blessed!


Saturday, December 17, 2011

A Picture With Santa, 2011


Today we took Chloe to meet Santa Claus for the first time. I couldn't believe how great she did sitting on his lap, so happy and full of smiles! The funniest part was when Chloe started playing with his beard, she was so fascinated with it!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Going To See Santa

Tomorrow we are going to take Chloe to see Santa at the mall, I am so excited! This is something that I have been looking forward to since I found out I was pregnant. I wonder how Chloe will react to sitting with Santa? She does pretty well with strangers as long as me or Mike are right next to her so I'm hoping she wont feel scared! I Cant wait to get some pictures of Chloe with Santa and to add this to our list of family traditions! 

What are some of your family traditions during the holiday season?

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

6 Months Old


Its hard to believe that 6 months have already passed us by since that glorious day we held our daughter for the first time and breathed in the beauty that she is. Its difficult to find the words to express what this beautiful little being has done to me, how she has forever changed me, and has brought me more love and joy then I have ever felt in my life. As I type this my sweet Chloe is laying on my lap, peaceful and dreaming. My heart swells with pride when I look at her and my eyes fill with tears as I realize just how fast time is going and how quickly my baby is growing. 

One day soon she will be a toddler, full of curiosity and wonder, walking and talking, and mischief. I didn't really think I was going to get this emotional over my daughter turning 6 months old but I cant help it. I love watching her grow, its been more exciting then I ever imagined it to be but of course I cant help but feel a little bit of sadness as I come to the realization that sooner then I even know my baby wont be a baby anymore. I just want to cherish these moments forever!

This is has been such a busy month for Chloe and full of lots of firsts. Chloe celebrated her first Thanksgiving, helped Mommy and Daddy decorate our first Christmas tree, attend her first baby shower, and soon she will be celebrating her first Christmas and New Years! Chloe has done so much growing and learning this past month and never ceases to amazes us.

Here's whats new:

:: Loves to sit up and could do it all day long if we let her
:: Scoots around on her butt while sitting as well as rocking back and forth
:: Loves reaching for everything that's in her sight
:: Now able to roll across the room
:: Has two little teeth on the bottom
:: Has a full head of hair again and it seems to have a little bit of a wave to it in the back
:: We have witnessed Chloe pull herself up once, on Friday the 9th. She hasn't done it since then
:: Chloe has had a few solids now, avocado and banana
:: Loves to laugh and be silly

Stats:

 Chloe weighs 20lbs 7oz and is 27.5 inches long and is mostly wearing size 6-12 months and 12 month clothes but sometimes still wears 9 months and even some 6 months. In diapers she is still wearing a size three.

It's been an incredible month, full of so many new and exciting things! I feel so blessed that God chose me to be Chloe's Mom, I cant say that enough!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

6 Month Photoshoot










I just cant believe my sweet Chloe is already 6 months old. If anyone knows the secret to slowing down time I'd love to hear it! Time is going much to fast!!

Happy Birthday To My Brother & Sister





Happy Birthday to my brother and sister, William and Becky who on this day 21 years ago were born! 

We miss and love you both and wish we could be there with you to celebrate such a special day!!
Love, Mike, Jen & Chloe

Monday, December 12, 2011

Song: Hallelujah


" Well I heard there was a secret Chord
that David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music do you, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the five,
The minor fall, and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah. "

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Liebster Blog Award

A huge thank you goes to my friend Rachel over at Our Havenhill, who awarded me with the Liebster Award! I feel so honored and blessed that she thought of me! Thank you Rachel!


"Liebster" is a German word meaning "dearest", or "beloved". It can also means "favorite" or any of these: sweet, kind, nice, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

What a wonderful gift and surprise this award is to me!

The Liebster is a way to show a little blog love to bloggers who currently have less then 200 followers. Along with this award is the gift and responsibility to nominate 5 other bloggers to be awarded. 

Here are the rules:

:: Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you
:: Reveal your top 5 blog picks for this award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
:: Copy and paste the award on your blog
:: Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers
::And most of all Have Fun!

The 5 blogs I'm nominating for the Liebster award are (in no particular order):

Friday, December 9, 2011

On Family Traditions and Life Lately

I grew up in a home that wasn't to big on family traditions which is why I think it's so important to me that my own little family has special traditions that we do during the holidays and all year round. I want to make Chloe's childhood special and for each day to be filled with love. I want Chloe to be able to have wonderful memories to share with her own children one day, and to be able to pass down these traditions that we started together as a family!

Last Sunday we got our very first Christmas tree. We spent the evening decorating it, listening to Christmas music, eating warm cookies and drinking delicious hot chocolate but this is real life not a movie so there was also a crabby baby, blurry pictures, and overly tired parents who were so sick of listening to Christmas music. At the end of the day we plopped ourselves on the couch and admired our beautiful Christmas tree that we worked so hard on. Even though things didn't go as I envisioned it I still loved every minute of it because its real and my family and we were together making memories that will forever be embedded in our hearts. 

Isn't that what family traditions are all about? Spending time with the ones you love, writing the story of our lives no matter how imperfect or messy it might be! I'm learning that you cant force this.... making memories.... family traditions. I apologize if  this post is scattered all over the place, it feels like its been so long since I have actually written anything real.

::sigh::

It feels so wonderful to be writing, to share whats on my heart, to have some time to myself! I plan on writing a post very soon about life lately, my last one was about the struggles that my husband and I are facing right now in our marriage and I haven't really shared whats been going on since that post. I don't really want to come across like I'm ignoring this topic in any way or that everything is perfect and wonderful again.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, it means so much to me!


Thursday, December 8, 2011

Amber Teething Necklace


Yesterday Chloe's amber teething necklace arrived it the mail! I'm anxious to see if it will make teething easier on her (she has two teeth on the bottom now). I have read a lot about amber necklaces and have heard so many amazing stories of how its eased the pain caused from teething. We really don't want to give Chloe any medicine unless we absolutely have to, so if this necklaces works for our sweet baby that would be amazing! Plus Chloe looks adorable with the necklace on!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Firsts: Solids & Baby Led Weaning

On Friday evening after Mike got home from work we decided to let Chloe try solid food for the first time. I mashed up a little bit of avocado and mixed in some breast milk to thin it out. We were both so excited that Chloe has now reached this exciting new milestone and we couldn't wait to see her reaction as she tasted the avocado for the first time. Right away we could tell that Chloe was not thrilled with the taste! She made the cutest, funniest faces and after a couple tastes turned her head away to signal she was done!


Tuesday evening we decided to give solid food a try again. This time we used banana and let Chloe feed herself instead of pureeing it. It was so much fun to be able to sit back and let Chloe have control. I loved seeing the excitement and curiosity in her eyes and she experienced the texture of the banana in her hands and tasted its sweetness on her tongue! 


Mike and I have been going back and forth between the idea of making Chloe's baby food ourselves or trying the baby led weaning approach to solids, but after experiencing both we know the right thing for Chloe and for us is to let her feed herself. Right now food is just for fun and will continue to be for fun until she's a year old. Chloe will still be getting the majority of her nutrition from breast milk. I know the older she gets the more food that will make it into her mouth instead of on the floor!

In a few days we are going to be trying avocado again but this time I will cut up a big enough piece for Chloe to hold by herself and just simply let her experience the texture and taste all on her on. I have a feeling she will like the avocado much more this way!

For anyone interested in learning more about baby led weaning or about making your own baby food here are a couple of links I found useful:


Monday, December 5, 2011

Our First Christmas Tree


On Sunday the scent of pine needles and warm cookies filled our home as we decorated our first tree together with the sound of Christmas music in the background! Chloe mostly played on the floor while watching Mike and I decorate the tree, but she did help put a couple ornaments on for us! Chloe seemed so surprised by the texture of the tree and by the expression on her face I'm not so sure she liked the way it felt!