Not quite what I was planning...

Am loved more than I deserve.

God rocks.

You might remember my post on Southern Living versus Midwest Living and how I was lamenting the fact that I was switching.

Let me just say: God rocks.

Shortly after that post I cancelled my subscription.

Or so I thought.

Today I received a we-want-our-money letter from SL for this year's issues. I called them to re-cancel. When the woman on the phone asked me why I was cancelling I told her it was getting too expensive (having gone from free - Thanks girls! - to $12 a year, to $36). Of course, she asked if I was interested in any of their other magazines, and replied, no, that I had just subscribed to Midwest Living (as I live in Iowa) and didn't need Coastal Living.

Then a random turn of events.

She asked me how much I paid for this past year's issues. I said that it had been the in ballpark of $12 for the year.

Know what she said?!

Ok, I can honor that same price for this year too, if you'd like.

If I'd like?! Oh you betcha I'd like!

I am now sittin' pretty with one more year of Southern Living (do worries Jonathan, it was only $11.88!).

God totally answered the desire of my heart! I so wanted to keep my subscription and without even knowing it, He totally made that possible. Had everything been cancelled as I thought, I wouldn't be able to rejoice in knowing just how much My God cares about the little things.

God rocks.

Fifty millions posts rolled into one...

Not really, I tend to exaggerate sometimes. All the same, I haven't had much time to write lately, so rather than trying to remember several ideas for different posts I'd just much rather write one.

My husband

Jonathan turns 30 in t-minus 4 hours. He is spending his last few moments as a "20-something" sleeping, since he was on Julia duty from 2-4 last night. Ah, what a way to ring in such a momentous birthday. In all seriousness, I just want to announce to the blogging world that Jonathan pretty much rocks. I fully understand that my love for him is different than anyone else's, but still, in case you were wondering, I think he's pretty much amazing. Happy birthday Jonny.*

Mexican Mamacita

I feel that I am fully on my way to becoming a bona fide mamacita. This is something that I have wanted to achieve for quite some time. While I have been able to piece together bits of mamacita likeness, I have not quite captured the mamacita cooking. However, spending the last two weeks with the Mamacita of all mamacitas (Jonathan's grandma) has helped finally (in my opinion) push me over the edge. I've learned how to cook a gauntlet of dishes that would win me much praise among the Hispanics in Texas. My favorite of them has been, drum roll please, Tortillas! I now know how to make flour tortillas from scratch. Even made some tonight! I'm perfecting my technique, but once I feel satisfied with my performance I do promise to teach anyone who wants to learn.

Stuff that piggy

As always, we are still on the quest for helping Julia sleep through the night. Seeing as crying it out didn't favor to well, we're trying a sweeter, more hands on approach. We are stuffing her face like a piggy.

I've started to see a pattern in her morning naps. If she is well feed and has spent an adequate amount of time in the mei tai then she tends to sleep really well (like, say 2 1/2 hours that she did today). So we figured we'd try it out. I carried her for about an hour tonight, then we feed her all the oatmeal and prunes she could handle (1/4 cup dry oatmeal and a 4 oz jar of prunes - not sure how much that makes, as the oatmeal expands when it is wet). Here's to hoping we found something that might work!

How to be green in an ungreen world

Let's face it, Texans aren't known for being green. Unless you live in Austin, your idea of green is... well I was going to say grass, but seeing as it's August that doesn't really exist anywhere in Texas. Needless to say, green isn't the "thing" to do. But, since my sister, Shelly, has voiced her desire to be a little more green, I thought I'd share some ideas for going green in a covert way (like how I used covert, Shelly? That's just for Jesse).

1. Change your cleaning products. No one will really notice this but you, so they can't look at you all funny with their big Dallas hair and say "Well, hun, you sure has changed since you been gone" (said in the best Southern drawl I can manage).

2. Plant a garden. This would be a terrific way to teach Katie and Madeline about their food source and allow them to have a sense of pride when they eat their harvest. I know, I know, it seems like a lot of work, so do something easy. Do a tomato plant or two, and some peppers. Then when you harvest, you can make salsa!

3. Walk more often. In TEXAS?! Yeah, I remember how hot it is. But still, walking not only is a health benefit, it saves on gas. So walk as much as you can. You can even make it a family affair in the evenings after dinner, when it's a bit cooler.

4. Plug your computer/tv into power strips that you turn off after every use. Even when electronics are "off" they stil use energy. However, if you essentially "unplug" them (reason for the strip) then they stop using up energy. This is also important for kitchen appliances, just maybe not your fridge.

5. Recycle and reuse. This might be a little more obvious, since the neighbors will see your recycling bin each week, but it's a great idea. It teaches you to be more aware of the items in your house that are recyclable, it will allow the girls to use their imaginations to reuse items, and it will cut back on your trash every week.

So, those are my ideas for going green in Texas. Hope the neighbors don't kick you out of the association!

*Here's a little ditty for my honey:


Lyrics | Barry Louis Polisar - All I Want Is You lyrics

I'm gonna wash that smoke right outta my hair!

I love a lot of things about my house and neighborhood. How close we are to the park, the ability to host a number of people, having a fenced in backyard, and having nice neighbors. However, one HUGE downside is that our adjoining neighbors smoke. This pretty much sucks.

They smoke on their back porch multiple times a day, forcing me to shut our doors and windows for anywhere from 10-30 minutes at a time. If we're outside when they smoke we inevitably go inside, because the smoke quickly makes its way over. I think there is some kind of science to that... smoke will always follow non-smokers.

It upsets me a lot, because I don't ever want Julia in the backyard while they are there, and I know that come this time next year keeping her from going out there will be next to impossible. Plus, why should I? After all, it is MY yard.

The good news is, it looks like we will be placing a barrier along our fence line this fall. In preparation for next year's garden, we decided having a barrier would help us maintain the garden while providing privacy and a smoke free environment. While Jonathan and I have bounced this idea around since last summer, we never went through with it, mostly because we didn't want to upset our neighbors. But since Grandma got here and realized my dilemma, she took the matter into her own hands. She flat out told Jonathan and me "you're putting up a barrier, deal with it" - but in her sweet Grandma sorta way.

I realize that some of the smoke will still make its way over (as that is the science of smoke), but at least I can rest assured that it will be much, much less.

After reading the ALA's website, it makes me even happier to know that we are taking every step possible to shield ourselves from secondhand smoke.

Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet

Secondhand smoke, also know as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma.

Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.

Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700-69,600 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year.

Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at work are at increased risk for adverse health effects. Levels of secondhand smoke in restaurants and bars were found to be 2 to 5 times higher than in residences with smokers and 2 to 6 times higher than in office workplaces.

Since 1999, 70 percent of the U.S. workforce worked under a smoke-free policy, ranging from 83.9 percent in Utah to 48.7 percent in Nevada. Workplace productivity was increased and absenteeism was decreased among former smokers compared with current smokers.

Eighteen states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont - as well as the District of Columbia prohibit smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Montana and Utah prohibit smoking in most public places and workplaces, including restaurants; bars will go smokefree in 2009. New Hampshire prohibits smoking in some public places, including all restaurants and bars. Four states - Florida, Idaho, Louisiana and Nevada - prohibit smoking in most public places and workplaces, including restaurants, but exempt stand-alone bars. Fifteen states partially or totally prevent (preempt) local communities from passing smokefree air ordinances stronger than the statewide law. Iowa, Nebraska and Oregon have passed legislation prohibiting smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, but the laws have not taken effect yet.

Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. Secondhand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year, and causes 430 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the United States annually. - That pretty much scares the bejebbies outta me!

Secondhand smoke exposure may cause buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 790,000 physician office visits per year. Secondhand smoke can also aggravate symptoms in 400,000 to 1,000,000 children with asthma.

In the United States, 21 million, or 35 percent of, children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. Approximately 50-75 percent of children in the United States have detectable levels of cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine in the blood.

Research indicates that private research conducted by cigarette company Philip Morris in the 1980s showed that secondhand smoke was highly toxic, yet the company suppressed the finding during the next two decades.

The current Surgeon General’s Report concluded that scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Short exposures to secondhand smoke can cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack. - Just perfect.

Lovely Ladies Dish on the Dish

I've joined in with a group of my girlfriends to make a new blog all about foods and healthy eating. Peruse on over and check us out!

Lovely Ladies Dish on the Dish

One! Uno! Eins! Un! Um! I love the number 1!

Why, oh why, would I love the number one?

I am one pound away from my pre-Julia weight!!!

Rock and roll, baby!

Man, this makes me feel like doing a victory dance. Or maybe I should do a victory run?!

Blerg! HFC"S" is at it again!

About a month ago I came across Blue Sky Soda. Love it. It gave me a way to be off the coke wagon, without being totally off (not that I don't have relapses continually...). However, I came across this tonight. Blue Sky Cola contains High Fructose Corn Sweetener.

Blerg!

Looks like I'll be getting their organic cola next time!

And for a little incentive to give up coke (by coke, I mean, soda/pop) I found this site to be interesting:

Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.

Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.

After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a sugar crash.

Completely (and totally) unsure; completely (and totally) reliant

I think one of the funniest things about parenting is that everything, literally everything, is trial and error. And perhaps by funny what I really mean is, so exhausting that you eventual give up and laugh (notice my time stamp).

Somewhere in the ballpark of 4 months of age, we realized that Julia really, really needed to just cry herself to sleep. I'm pretty certain Jonathan realized this long before I did, but at some point we both looked at each other through sleep deprived eyes and said "It's go time". Here's what I really love about this whole process: Julia seems to take way longer than what I think is humanly possible to catch on to the idea of sleeping. Like, really, isn't sleep natural? Shouldn't a baby just want to sleep? I honestly think she came out of the womb thinking "Mom? Dad? What is this thing you guys are wanting me to do? You seriously expect me to quite down, shut my eyes and sleep? Hmm. No."

From the get go, sleep and Julia seem to have been a struggle (she gets that from her dad, seeing as I can fall asleep just about anywhere and anytime). So, like I said, somewhere around 4 months old we started letting her cry at night. First night she cried from 11pm to 6 am. Ok, does that seem slightly over the top to anyone else? I mean, come on little girl. At some point I really thought she'd give up. But she never did. Impressive!

After some serious tears shed during the day (we had stopped swaddling her at night, but continued to during the day; this made for lots of crying at night and lots of heavy sleeping during the day - like around 6+ hours), Julia finally started sleeping at night. Beautiful!

Then about a month after that, we regressed to waking up twice a night. I blamed it on a growth spurt. Well, if that is what it is, my daughter should be Yao Ming by now! So we went back to crying it out. This time around I didn't feel quite so bad. I figured she'd reached the age where she was mentally/emotionally capable of self-soothing (which happens around 6 months), so a little crying wouldn't hurt.

We're nearly three months into this next crying it out stage. Julia still hasn't grasped that night time is for sleep time, and so we've thrown our hands in the air. Sometime last week (or maybe the week before that... time seems to start to blur) Jonathan and I decided that for the sake of everyone we'd stop CIO. While this means that I'm still waking up nightly (ranging from 1-3 times on average) with Julia, we all at least get to go back to sleep fairly quickly. Unlike with CIO, which lasted 2-5 hours. Each night (well, 5 out of 7). For three months.

But, tonight Julia threw me a curve ball. She woke up around 1am. We nursed, I put her back down, and she starts crying. Sweet. So, I figured she'd really just have to deal with life and go back to bed. I gave her a set time to cry (mentally I did this, I didn't actually say "Ok, Julia, you can cry until such and such time before I come back in here"). But seeing as I can't actually sleep when she's fussy I decided to get on the laptop to pass the time. Fortunately for her, the time was pretty quick. Unfortunately for me, I can't seem to fall back to sleep.

Needless to say, I've come to realize that parenthood really is about having absolutely no clue what you are doing and just really hoping to stumble upon the right answer. For this kid. Since everything changes for the next one. And in the moments that I realize this, it makes me bow my knee before God, pray for wisdom, grace, patience and love abounding, because I know that I am completely clueless and totally reliant upon Him.

100 things about me

I got this idea from another blog I read and figured that I too, in keeping with tradition, would write a list of 100 things about myself in honor of my 100th post.

1. Mint chocolate is my favorite.
2. I would eat pizza every day if I thought that in any way it would be a good idea.
3. I am from the South.
4. The True South.
5. The True South being below the Mason-Dixon Line.
6. But sometimes I wish I was more Southern.
7. I miss my Southern accent.
8. At least I can make amazing (in my husband's opinion) fried chicken.
9. I really dislike hot weather.
10. But I love Texas (especially Austin).
11. Go figure.
12. I think my husband is the funniest man ever.
13. I fell in love with him on a trip to Italy.
14. But I didn't admit it for another year.
15. Now I admit it.
16. All the time.
17. I went to UT - Austin.
18. I wear that fact like a badge of honor.
19. I loved my time at college.
20. It was a really hard adjustment moving to Iowa.
21. Really hard.
22. But now I love it.
23. And I would be willing to stay here forever.
24. Although I hope God sends us to the East Coast.
25. Perhaps New York.
26. I could be a New Yorker.
27. At least I like to think so.
28. I try really hard to have people like me.
29. I say and act like I don't.
30. But I really do.
31. My favorite time of the day is morning.
32. It's my time to snuggle in bed with Jonathan and Julia.
33. And Jack.
34. My dog.
35. That is treated more like a human than a dog.
36. I know that might be crazy to some people.
37. But I'm that "kind of" dog owner.
38. And I like it.
39. My daughter is the cutest girl I know.
40. I love being her mother.
41. Lots and lots.
42. Even though it kicks my butt.
43. Like all the time.
44. Bath time with Julia cracks me up.
45. I want to always keep a sense of humor.
46. Especially when it comes to motherhood.
47. I love a house filled with laughter.
48. I want to be a Mexican mamacita.
49. You know, the ones that make awesome food.
50. And have lots of babes.
51. Christ is the rock of my life.
52. Without Him I would be nothing.
53. I am grateful that He pursued me,
54. Long before I pursued Him.
55. I am grateful that He gives me grace,
56. And mercy,
57. And love abounding.
58. God is amazing.
59. And I looking longingly for the day I will meet my Savior.
60. It will be awesome.
61. And terrifying,
62. Realizing just how imperfect I am,
63. And just how perfect God is.
64. But mostly seeing Him will just be awesome.
65. I try to read my Bible daily.
66. I fail pretty often at it.
67. I like snacking on granola.
68. I use to make fun of "granola people".
69. Now I aspire to be one.
70. I enjoy watching TV.
71. More than I should.
72. Which is why we don't have cable.
73. We did just get the Seinfeld series.
74. That has been a lot of fun.
75. I wish my life could be like a Seinfeld episode.
76. I have traveled to Europe.
77. Twice.
78. I've been proposed to.
79. Twice.
80. Both times in Europe.
81. The first time it was by a Hungarian.
82. He was old.
83. And drunk.
84. And smelled of cigarette smoke.
85. I said no.
86. But it made me laugh.
87. The second time was by Jonathan.
88. It was in Paris.
89. At Pont Neuf.
90. I said yes.
91. And it made me cry.
92. Happy tears.
93. I love Paris.
94. I wish I could live there too.
95. I would eat cheese and bread.
96. And drink wine every day.
97. I would walk hand in hand with Jonathan,
98. As our kids ran around in the markets,
99. Speaking French and laughing.
100. I like to day dream.

Grace and coffee are my two best friends

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog. It's been a hard day's night and I should be sleeping like a log.

Last night Julia woke up right as I was falling asleep (somewhere in the ballpark of 11pm). After that I struggled for the next two hours to go back to sleep. It was rough. Being the gracious husband that he is, Jonathan got up and stroked my hair until I could unwind enough to fall back asleep. Then Julia woke up about two hours later for her normal nighttime feeding and for the day at like God-awful-six. So, I'm running off of about 5 hours of sleep (or make that 4 1/2).

But God is gracious. He provides continually, giving me strength to mother/wife/sister/friend when I feel zapped. And to top if off, He provides the $1.75 for a large Capanna Full City coffee (with extra Raw Suger and a dash of cinnamon).

Today is going to be a good day. Thanks to lots grace and tasty coffee!

Anniversary Extravaganza 2008!

Jonathan and I celebrated 3 years of marriage on Wednesday. My, my, how the time has flown! These last three years have been wonderful, challenging, life changing and, let's face it, hilarious (how could it not be when you're married to a guy like Jonathan?!).

Sticking with our tradition we dubbed this year's celebration Anniversary Extravaganza. Now, really, this year wasn't quite the extravaganza we've come to know and love (and my guess is it won't be for a few more years) but all the same it was pretty awesome. Thanks to our good friends, Ambre and Erik, who watched Julia, Jonathan and I went out to dinner and then had massages. The massages were nice, but dinner... dinner was FABULOUS! We went to Devotay in Downtown IC. It is my new favorite. We wined and dined on Amish beer, locally grown veggies, buffalo meatballs and a yummy, yummy cheesy zucchini sandwich (which was hands down the best sandwich I have ever consumed!). All in all, it was a pretty great night. I am super excited to have been a Windham for these here 3 years, and looking forward to many, many more Windham years.

And in the words of Juno, as far as husbands go, Jonathan is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni. And I love him dearly.

Did you hear that?

That is the silence of a sleeping child.

Julia has been F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G! her naps for the last, um I don't know, ever. But really so this last week.

But as of right now she is out.

And that makes this mama really happy.

Silence is golden.

If they made fortune cookies just for moms...

While Julia is napping, I thought I'd share some funnies from the latest Parenting Magazine: "If they made fortune cookies just for moms..."

- You will travel over the ocean, and your 3-year-old will use the airplane bathroom 26 times.

- Now is the time to be daring. Take your toddler to the park without a diaper bag.

- You enjoy nourishing your loved ones, but if the peas touch the meat loaf, you can forget it.

- Elegance and grace are your trademark in dress. Also baby spitup.

- Your love life will be happy and harmonious, especially if you remember to lock the bedroom door.

- You will soon find a long-lost treasure, and you will decide to check under the couch cushions more often.

- New friends will come into your life, and they will ask you to run the spring fund-raiser.

- People are entranced by your voice - at least those listening to you read Runaway Bunny for the thousandth time.

- You have a keen mind and an enviable intellect, expect when it comes to third-grade math homework.

- A handsome man has his eye on you - and he's wondering when you're going to make his macaroni and cheese.

How is cloth going.... really.... I mean, how is it going?

This what my friend, Leah, asked me today. That, my dear readers is a loaded question, and one that I, in fact, asked myself this morning.

So, how is cloth going...

I've come to this one simple conclusion, if you are going to do cloth with your babe (or babes) you have to really, REALLY want to do cloth. It has to be something that you are willing to put in a little extra time and effort. Plus, it helps if you can deal with a little poo. See, me, I have a very high tolerance for all things gross. Blood, vomit, pee, poo, nasty, nasty trash. Low gag reflex, high tolerance. However, if you are like, say, Jonathan, who gags thinking about gross things, then dealing with poo cloth diapers are not for you.

We are still using disposables when Julia sleeps at night (for mere ease and not worrying that she'll wake herself because of being wet) and plan to use them when we travel - as I don't really see cleaning a cloth diaper in the hotel room at Faithwalkers or at my mom's house!

Alright, now to answer the question that I know everyone is thinking. Just how do you "dispose" of the poo?

Step by step: I change Julia, putting the poo diaper on the edge of her diaper hamper. Once she is taken care of, I take the poo diaper to the bathroom and dunk it in the toilet. Using the parts of the none poo areas, I clean the diaper as best as I can. I rinse out the excess water and drop it into her diaper hamper. After which I wash my hands. ***Now, I will say that I do use my elbows for a lot of things during this process as not to touch anything - like the faucet or toilet handle - with my hands until after they are thoroughly washed (I've become even more obsessive about washing my hands since this new diapering adventure!).***

I haven't had to soak any of the poo diapers and they haven't stained, even after sitting in the diaper hamper for two or three days (they don't stay longer than that because I have to wash the diapers every 2-3 days to maintain our supply).

There have been a few minor draw backs in my mind.

First, I never really know when Julia is wet because I can't feel her diaper like I could with disposables. And I really think she needs to be changed at least every hour, hour and a half at the max. More than that and the diaper doesn't absorb like it should. Of course, I could use a doubler/liner but don't.

Second, it did take Julia about a week to adjust to cloth from disposables. She is more aware now when she is wet than she did before. This made for some crying whenever we were out shopping and she peed. She's gotten use to it, and we've even gotten to where she'll wear them for nap time. On the flip side, the good thing about her heightened awareness is that it'll hopefully help her potty train sooner.

Third, is that cloth is a LOT bulkier. This makes for some snug fitting pants, which is a little more annoying since Julia seems to have issues with shorts/bloomers being to tight in her legs, now they are too tight in the bum too.

Ultimately, I am glad we made the switch. I really do love the idea of cloth diapering, I love the look of the wraps, and I really think they are going to be better for everyone (Julia, me, Jonathan, the planet) in the long run. I think that if there is ever a Baby Dubya 2, we will start from the beginning using cloth - hopefully even using them at night but having disposables for ease of traveling. Using them from the beginning will help alleviate any transition period for the babe and will just, in my opinion, be easier in the end. Plus, when the poo diapers are solely breastfed poo, then you can wash them without rinsing them out first. Which is one less step to deal with and makes things easier! And, as my engineering minded husband points out, the money saved is unbeatable. Jonathan figured that we've spent at least $400+ on disposables so far that we can never get back. If that is in, say, 8 months time, then you're looking at roughly $600 a year, or $1200-1500+ for two or more years. Our start up cost for cloth was less than $200, and the on going cost for Julia is sure to be less than another $200. Yet, like I said before, you have to really, REALLY want to do cloth, otherwise I think you'll be far more likely to stop and switch to disposables.

I hope that helps answer any questions for you curious minded people. If not, ask away and I can provide any answer, sparing no poopie detail! :)

These are a few of my favorite things... (sung like Julie Andrews)

Since we've made some crazy green changes in the Windham household, I've come to have some new favorites that I can't sing about enough. Really, I do actually sing about them. Mostly to Julia who thinks I still have a pretty voice.

1. Lentils. I'm not sure why, but lentils just never seemed all that appealing. But since we're having two vegetarian meals a week, lentils were bound to get into the rotation. So last night I made Curried Lentils with Vegetables. Can I just say "Yuuuummmy!". Man, that stuff was delicious! Thanks to my success with last night's meal, lentils are now making their way to my favorite things list.

2. Curry. Curry scares me. Not the taste, because I love, love, love curry, but actually preparing it makes me really nervous. Whenever I see my favorite Indian dishes I always imagine that it must have taken hours and hours plus years of experience to create such a scrumptous dish. Turns out it just takes curry powder. Ha, who knew?

3. Bummis Super Brite Wraps. Sounds like a food, but it's a babe butt cover. These Bummis' have gussets that help keep the cloth diaper (as well as the contents of the diaper) in the wrap. They are a bit more handwashing friendly then their cousin, Bummis Super Whisper. But the gussets alone were what sold me.

4. DTV. We just got the digital converter box for out TV. Despite the fact that we did actually lose some channels (long story there), we did gain two PBS stations! And since we Windhams love our PBS, it has been a wonderful addition to have.

5. Finally, a picture of three of my most favorite things, ever.

Ready, set, go!

And she's off!

Julia is offically crawling! About a month ago she started getting up on all fours, rocking back and forth and then *splat*. Well yesterday, I sat her down, started doing something, looked back and she was moving! She's pretty slow, needs lots of encouragement, but she will go from on side of the livingroom to the other.

But wait, that's not all! She's also pulling herself up too!

Pretty amazing stuff.

I will say she looks mighty funny when she crawls, as it is not the traditional knee crawling, but foot/knee crawling:





Good thing we set this up recently:



And here she is pulling herself up:

Monkey see, monkey do

A lot has changed in me since I had Julia. The way I think and act are all being affected by the idea that this little person is watching me and making her opinions on the world based on my actions. Whoa, that in of itself is a lot to take in, but we aren't going that deep.

Anyways, I really, really, really don't like mushrooms. Like really. And I am of the opinion that since I have given them a try several times and each time have disliked them, then I am free to continue disliking them forever.

But then about 4 months ago the thought hit me that if I don't like mushrooms, Julia most likely won't like mushrooms. You know, monkey see, monkey do. If it's good enough for mama, it's good enough for me. So I set out to start eating mushrooms. Now, I'm not going for full out enjoyment of mushrooms, but rather not picking them out of food. **Disclaimer - Because my mama raised me as a good Southern girl, never, ever in my life have I actually picked out mushrooms when I was served them at someone else's house. That is a major no-no. Just wanted to throw that in there in case mom is reading this!**

Twice now I have cooked with mushrooms. First time I made spaghetti with the canned mushrooms. Bad idea. Very bad. Seeing as my whole complaint is that mushrooms are slimy and rubbery, the last way I want them is soaked in a gross juice to make them even more slimy and nasty. Needless to say, I gagged through most of the meal. And truth be told I did pick out most of them to pass along to Jonathan.

However, I attempted using them yet again tonight when I made veggie pizza. This time I got fresh mushrooms. The recipe called for steaming all the veggies, but I thought "Hmmm... that would make the mushrooms slimy, so let's not do that." Instead, I just cut them up and added them along side the onions. And you know what, I ate all of them!

Sometimes I can trick myself into not thinking about what I am eating and just down it and move on (again, those good Southern graces), but tonight I consciously thought "That is a mushroom and I am going to eat it." Perhaps it helped that they were smothered in cheese, sauce and along side my favorite veggies. But all the same, I am paving a path for my mushroom eating ways.

Next food to conquer: coconut.

Toto we aren't in Texas anymore

I cancelled my subscription to Southern Living tonight. Way, way sad day.

I am now subscribing to Midwest Living.

Me on the computer cancelling my SL subscription: "This is way sad. Way sad."

Jonathan: "But you're getting something better."

Me: "Yeah, but it's Southern Living. I love Southern Living."

Jonathan: "You don't leave in the South. You live in the Midwest."

Me: "Ahhh! Don't say it! If you don't say it, it's not true!"

Door frame - 1; Julia - 0

Julia is learning to pull up on things, sometimes she doesn't choose the wisest things to try out her new found skill. Unfortunately, today she lost a battle with the door frame.

The injury (upper left side of her forehead):



The culprit:



After much crying and lots of kisses everything was a-okay.

Did I miss something?

I recently found out that a good friend of mine from college is moving to 23rd and Lexington in NYC now that she has completed Optometry School. When I first heard the news, there was a pang of remorse that rose up inside me. I have always, always wanted to live in NYC. The traffic, the people, the buildings, the subways, the constant go, go, go, just makes me feel alive and excited. Years ago Jonathan and I were on our New York track. We had planned out how long it would take him to finish school, what types of jobs we could get in New York, where we would live, what an amazing adventure we would encounter. If everything had gone as we planned, I would be celebrating my one year New York Anniversary this summer.

But alas, over Faithwalkers 2005 we both felt that New York was a dream we need to let go. Oddly enough, God spoke strongly to both of us on separate occasions, and neither of us told the other one for sometime afterward. But then one day I blurted out that I felt God was asking me to give up New York and Jonathan agreed. And as strange as it seems, I did really mourn the loss of my dream. I spent another few months pining away, thinking that there must be some way for me to still live there and be in God's will. So far I haven't seen an open door.

Anyways, back to my pang of remorse.

It's kind of shaken me this week, the idea that I too could be moving or already living in New York. I ask all the "what if" questions and start to see my life as less than glamorous. I mean, I'll be honest in saying that for most of my life I never truly thought I'd be a mom, and that if I ever did go down that path it would be much later than now. And I'll state the obvious when I say that there isn't much that is glamorous about mamahood. Sure, people are envious of the cute babies, but the poop, crying, vomit, lack of sanity, lack of sleep, road trips that take twice as long as normal, the continually dying to self. Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever heard someone say "Gee, I just really want a lifelong less in selflessness, I think I'll have a baby!". Yet, that is my life. My life isn't living in an apartment loft off the Upper West Side. It's living across the road from a park where Julia and any possible future babes will spend their playtime. My life is giving my all to my marriage, my family and my God. And it does make me sad that I can't just pick up and take a trip somewhere, or that I can't spend my "weekends" sleeping in, doing as I please, or being able to have a job at NYU or Columbia, or having to constantly be mindful of what I eat because it might make Julia fussy. Yeah, I do want all those things, I do miss the idea of freedom and jet-setting, I do love NYC. But far more than that, far more than chasing after that dream, I love my God. I love my husband. I adore my daughter. And really, if it came down to choosing the Upper East Side loft or the duplex in Iowa with my family, I would time and time again choose the latter.

With that in mind, I am stepping back and wishing luck to my friend. I am choosing to say that God is good for having me here, for allowing my life to be so fully blessed. And who knows, maybe one day I might just move to Manhattan.

Just maybe not the Manhattan that I expected.