Pumpkin Carving

I love carving our pumpkin every year.  It is a fun and I have very strong memories of doing it as a family growing up.  I think that Justin and I have carved pumpkins since the first year we started dating.  Justin enjoys it as much as I do.  It is also lots of fun to see the difference in perspective of each completed Jack-o-lantern. Justin likes scary, I like happy!  This year we invited Lindsey and Hunter over and we had a great time.  The guys did the blue print for the Jack-O-Lanterns and carved them.  Lindsey, Collier and I were there for the gutting and pumpkin seeds.  It was the first year that Collier actually got to participate with the pumpkin.  He was in bed by the time the actual carving occurred but I think that the fun with the ooey and gooey was just right for him.

Saturday our friends down the street had a huge party.  It was very nice to just be able to walk to their house and walk home.  There was an awesome band and Collier danced all night with a glow stick that he found.  He didn't last long with his gun and holster, his sheriff star broke and was lost and he will NOT wear his hat!  Tonight should be interesting   We're only going to a few houses just so that he can at least experience the concept of Trick or Treating!  Look out candy here we come....

Yummy

Ok.  Check these two recipes out. They were delicious and fun and easy!  Did I mention delicious?

First, these yummy soft sugar cookies coated in yummilious frosting.  You know the ones that are at the front of every store calling your name.  Well this is that only much better, softer, melt in your mouth kind of goodness.  I got the recipe from here. My frosting got a little loose and I was just too lazy to try and thicken it more than I already did. So, I just let it run off the side and it was just fine!

Then there were these very easy egg and bacon cups that I spotted on pinterest last week.  And here is the source for this perfectly easy and delicious breakfast..as in I wanted to eat all 12 but refrained myself since I did have a husband and child to feed.... Hurry make these for breakfast or dinner this week.  You won't be sorry.  OH and be sure to spay your pan before you cook them, I sort of learned the hard way on that...that is not a good step to overlook!

My skeleton loves eggs!

And the lastly, pumpkin seeds three ways!  I have always baked my seeds and they are usually perfectly fine.  But I saw [again] on pinterest that you could roast/saute them and they really turned out great!
Round One: I used this recipe with brown sugar, cooking spray
Round Two: I liked the sugar idea but thought that the brown sugar was a little heavy.  So, I treated the pumpkin seeds like I use when I candy walnuts for salads.  Just heat and sugar.  But I added a little cinnamon because I knew that Justin would love that...and I was right.  These were certainly Justin's favorite.
Round three: toasted them a little (on the stove top) and then added a little bit of butter, worshersire, garlic salt and cooked until they were done.  I was split between these and the cinnamon sugar ones!

Justin said that he preferred that I cook them in the oven but on the stove was just way easier and quicker.  I didn't have to worry about being sure that they were so dried out as when cooked in the oven.  Something different and yummy.

I'll catch up on our fun and busy weekend tomorrow!  Hope that you will enjoy a few of these recipes!
Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest?

Expression

Collier has suddenly busted out of his vocal shell in the past week.  He is all of a sudden putting full sentences together and making the funniest comments and conversations.  He says the cutest things and I need to start documenting them.  In addition to words his personality is coming out and he is really very funny.  He loves to make you laugh and laughter encourages whatever he is doing [which can be a good and a bad thing depending on the circumstance].    But this is a new expression that we have seen several times this week.  I about fell off the Carousel when he first did it.



I am also glad to say that after much prayer and patience he is doing so good at school, bible study and church.  Last week when mom picked him up he actually said he 'not want to leave school'.  This was like music to my ears and such a good relief.  He is no longer telling me he doesn't want to go to school.  I am so proud of him. 

Pumpkin Patch Visit

 We went on our First EVER Pumpkin Patch visit this year.  It was loads of fun and perfect way for a little man to burn off some energy.  Plus it was a beautiful day and loved being outside.

waiting so patiently, for the much anticipated and favorite part of the day, tractor ride

The slide.  Justin didn't think it was a good idea because of all the kids and he wasn't sure if Collier was able to climb up the slope/steps on his own.  The first time up he did sort of hold up the line but they were very nice and patient.  He loved it and did it twice.  If we let him he would have done it a lot more.  He loved it!  Click on the picture to enlarge and see the pictures better!   

      Where is Collier                                                          Peek A Boo!!

It really was a fun morning and we still made it back to watch plenty of football with friends.  The rest of the weekend I cleaned, cleaned and cleaned.  While Justin put the finishing touches on Collier's big boy bed!

Fall Brings...

I love fall for so many reasons but the weather alone is a good enough reason to love this season.  It brings reasons to be outside, football, soups, pumpkins, halloween, boots and beautiful colors.  Not to mention it ushers in winter and I am all about a good reason to build a fire!

Justin had his annual guys golf trip this past weekend which meant Collier and I were solo.  Friday we headed to Aldridge Garden's for the morning to just enjoy the coolness and plus I needed a good excuse to take some pictures of just him...since I haven't done that very much lately [partly because I can't seem to get him to sit still long enough].  Not that I thought that he would at the gardens but I thought it would be a good place to at least try.  He did pretty good and was very patient with me snapping so many.

It was fun to see him have some free space and our time one on one was very fun.  He kept waving to everyone that would walk by us.  Such a sweet little man.  And then we came upon these ducks and we clearly didn't follow the directions of 'stay on the path' as he headed straight to the ducks to join in their fun.  I was that mom who just let him and stood back and took pictures.  I did have to threaten a spanking as he tried to kick one of the chicks...that is a big NO NO! and then we made our way to the tortoise and the hare!

Saturday we headed to the airport to pick up Mom [she was gone all last week to celebrate my Grandfather's birthday!].  We decided to make it a real airport experience.  We arrived about an hour before mom was to land and went in for Collier to really see the environment of the airport [we are traveling in a few weeks to tampa to visit my sweet cousins].  I wanted him to at least see the process of dropping off our bags and going through security so that when it was his turn he would at least be somewhat familiar.   It was good and fun and he seemed so comfortable. I just pray he'll be that same way on the day that we travel.  Traveling down to Tampa, it will just be CH and I as Justin will already be down there!  I am a little nervous to be doing it alone on the first round but he is so stink'n excited about going on a ride in the airplane that I think that he'll be fine.  Like I said...I'm just praying!

I also worked on a few projects this weekend which involved a lot of painting.  I did a little reorganization of a wall in our kitchen and when it is all done, I'll share the details.  I am also working on a big boy bed - painting it and will be sharing those details soon too!  But all of this projecting meant we made a few trips to HomeDepot and Lowes.  Here is Collier's reward for being so good while mommy shopped:

When we left church yesterday, he told me he wanted to go and ride the taktors!  Gosh he just loves those things...such a boy.  

It was a good  and busy weekend, but we are so glad to have Justin back. It is just better and more fun when Daddy is around.  Plus, last week we ended up back at the doctor with another ear infection!  Thankfully he has done rather well this round...just have a bit of a runny nose and cough that has finally gone away after a week! I think that his back teeth are still pushing through as he keeps his hands stuffed in the back of his mouth.  

Socialization

I feel that we are now into a good routine and schedule.  We have now been in school for 2 months along with bible study (Monday nights) plus Church nursery time.  At each drop off and pick up there are tears from time to time (still) and certainly a sense of him holding back in 'wanting' to go and participate.  Since he has not been in nursery or day care up to this point, it has always been a concern of mine of if he is getting the social interaction that he needs.  So, now that we are involved in social settings, is he participating and involving himself in the activities or is he pulling himself away. I keep asking all of his teachers and they keep telling me how sweet that he is and that he is doing fine.  I have no doubt that he is fine or even a good kid, but I just don't feel that he is engaging in activity and the whole experience.

When Mom picked CH up this week his teacher said that he had a few times that he cried for me or Nammie and he sat in her lap quiet for a little while.  She said he is just seemed sad.  Mom asked if he was interacting and the teacher said that he is only to a point.  He doesn't really play with everyone else on the play ground but will play fine by himself.  RED FLAG, RED FLAG, RED FLAG....also translates into BREAKS MY HEART!  She also told mom that he is really sweet and does anything that is asked of him, very willing to do but doesn't really engage.

It is just a huge prayer for me right now.  He does tend to be a bit shy when we are around others that he isn't really familiar with.  I am hoping that this is just a stage that he will out grow.  But am also sad that he isn't really playing and interacting with others.  At home and with friends who he is familiar with he is really great and social.  He certainly doesn't lack confidence in these area's while at home but in the unfamiliar he does seem less secure and confident.  The teacher does feel that it is just going to take time and that he will catch up and adjust.  My MIL also reminded me that he hasn't really ever gone through a supper shy and tentative stage where he didn't like strangers and so maybe this is just that time.  I am afraid he is missing out on the fun he could be having by holding himself back.  But I am also not sure how to help him through this and so we are praying him through it.  I know that God does know and that God can give him the tools that he needs in order to cope, adjust and have confidence.

In my memory verse this month I am reminded that God is familiar with all of our ways!  Pslam 139:1-3 'You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down.  You are familiar with all of  my ways'   It is God who knows what is going on in that little heart and mind of his and only God can truly know how to meet those needs.  As I am typing this I am realizing that my prayer needs to be that God will reveal to us (Justin, Mom, his teachers and caregiver's and me) what we need to do to encourage and help him through this phase! I would appreciate your prayers with us during this time. More than anything it is just hard as his Momma to see him not wanting to go and do the things that I know have the potential to be a lot of fun!

On the belly baby front; I have felt movement over the past week.  It is just about once a day but I just know that he/she is doing all kind of activity.  According to babycenter it is about the size of an avacado and will double his [I naturally call it a he because that is all that I know up to this point and it is what rolls of my tongue/fingers] weight in the next few weeks.  I go back to the doctor tomorrow and will then know when the big appointment to find out what we are having will be!

Actions vs. Intentions

We have been visiting a new church for the past couple of months and just haven't yet made the full commitment to changing our membership just yet.  Tonight was the first time we have visited the evening service (more casual and contemporary).  I am really enjoying the smaller size of this church and look forward to joining and being more involved.  The sermon was great and spoke to me.  The greatest point that I walked away from the sermon was this: Do we just have good intentions or do we live out those intentions in and through what we do? (this was not the whole sermon, but just a small point that was made that stuck with me)  Do our actions reflect what we believe in Christ?  ... In other words, do we walk the talk or do we just talk the talk.  It was something that I pondered on because it is something that I personally want to do better.  I strongly believe in God's grace, His love, His forgiveness and His mercy.  Matter of fact, I am so thankful for these and rely on them in my every day life.  But do I in turn extend this to others?  Do I show others His love or my love (the love that is so imperfect)?  Do I forgive others as He has forgiven me?  All of that to say that I wish and desire and want to be a better reflection of Him to others.

In my CBS lesson last week (we are studying John this year) in the first chapter John explains Christ as the light of the world.  I want His light to radiate through me so that others will be drawn to Him.  Instead, I am selfish, judgmental and prideful.  All of these things I am working on, working to repent and turn from these ugly ways so that I can be a light. My desire is really to carry out those actions and NOT just want, think or consider things but to do what God is laying on my heart to do!

On a different note.  This little tricycle was Chris' when we were little.  Mom has had it out for a few months and Collier's little legs have just not been quite long enough to push the pedals- despite the many attempts.  Friday was his first day to successfully pedal and make it go all on his own!  What a huge accomplishment and I was so proud of him [he was also very proud].  He doesn't quite have steering and pedaling down, but one step at a time!  He did already figure out that when he is going down hill he can pick up his feet and go really fast.  Getting to be such a big boy!

He also did great in the church nursery yesterday - he was the only one in there, so they took him outside to play on the playground.  He even woke up this morning asking me if we were going to church!  We're slowly getting there.  It has been my prayer that he will enjoy, participate and desire to learn and be at church, school and bible study.  I know that God is working on that little heart of his. One thing that we often pray [on the way to school usually] is for God's confidence and peace to fill him up!  It is such a huge reward to watch and see how God answers our prayers - sometimes easier than others!

Luke 9:23-24 'Then He said to the crowd: 'if any of you want to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.'

Where we are

Now that we seem to be making our way successfully away from being sick and feeling back to normal - Collier that is - I am so glad and thankful that he is back to his old self.  I think that we finally figured out that his 2 year molars are coming in and have [and still are on some days] giving him a fit.  He crams his fingers as far into his mouth as possible and Justin and I are constantly saying "collier get your fingers out of your mouth'.   After being sick for the past few weeks we really got out of routine and schedule, specifically with going to school, I was really glad to be back on the schedule this week.  He did great both days when I dropped him off and Popoo and Nunny are here this week and have gotten to pick up him from school.

We have also started back to CBS Bible Study.  I am so excited to be back and looking forward to the study of the Gospel of John this year.  I am sort of in a different role this year than in years past, in that I am helping a little with the children's program and being an assistant core leader.  My responsibility is to check the children into their classes and then I go on to my core group.  On the first night, in transition from one room to another Collier saw me and thought that it was time to go home.  When we didn't go home it really threw him off and resulted in a lot of crying.  If you have been reading for a while you'll know that this is a normal thing for CBS [for some strange and unknown reason].  But this is his first year to be in a real class instead of just the nursery.  I was worried that each week me being in front of his class to check in the other kiddo's would be a problem.  After a lot of praying, God revealed himself and this past week was perfectly amazing.  He didn't shed a tear and really did awesome and had a great time.  It is always neat and fun to watch and see how God answers our prayers....no matter how small they may seem!

One of the things we are working VERY hard on right now in our house is manners.  The please and thank yous and ma'am and sirs.  I just know for sure that the million times a day that Justin and I reinforce this will pay off.  Just this morning as Collier was sitting on the couch with an empty bowl and he asked me for a 'nanna'.  As I turned to get his banana he said 'here mama, please' as he held out the bowl that he wanted me to take to the kitchen.  He uses please more than anything else.  When he says no to something, I'll respond with 'no, what?' and he says 'no, please'.  So that is nicer than nothing but was more looking for no ma'am. Its a work in progress for sure!

We also have not mastered getting rid of pacey yet.  I started what I referred to as pasey boot-camp, who am I kidding?  I tried the bye bye binkey concept of cutting the pasey so that it is less of a comfort to him.  All of his pacey's are cut in half and he couldn't care less.  When he was sick, I even gave him a whole one and he actually wanted the cut one!  Plan B, right?  I have sort of backed off a little about it.  He has done so well with so many other things that if he has a pacey for a little longer than he should, so be it!  I am sure I will NOT be saying that once he goes to the dentist!  I think that we're going to have to go cold turkey and 'leave' them somewhere.  I think that him being sick for 2 weeks is what really threw me off.  I will say that we are back to ONLY having it in the bed...it doesn't come out of his bed!

It is nearly impossible to get him to brush his teeth.  It is an every day battle.  I've tried all of the tricks.  One night last week, I was tired and at my wits end and was doing my best to get him to brush his teeth with no success at all.  I even spanked him (which was when I realized this is not going good or in the right direction) so I just got up and walked out and closed the bathroom door.  I told myself that I needed to take a minute and try a better approach.  I went to the kitchen to get some water and when I walked back I could hear his tooth brush (electric) going.  That little stinker was brushing away..even those back teeth!  So that is what I do now.  I give him the tooth brush, sit him down and then tell him I'll be back to check on him and he brushes every time!! oh the struggle of independence! Who knew that would have ever worked....I laughed that first night he did it.  I told God that He must have known I was at a total loss and thankful that He took over!

I am going to try and do better about documenting our ups and downs and the different stages of what is going on.  I feel like I just post high points or big things and want to do better about the small things too. So you are now caught up with where we are!

Happy Friday!

Growing

I've been wanting and meaning to post this post for a while.  I had a precious post with specific pictures all staged out in my mind but the reality is that I haven't had either the time or energy to get it done.  I've barely had my camera out the past few weeks.  But I did finally got it out last night, or at least snapped a few that would work minus cooperation from my little man!

I think that most of you already know.. But our family is growing!  Justin and I are just thrilled and excited to see what is ahead for our family as we grow.  I am 14 weeks today - Due March 23rd!  Feeling good and thankful for a growing and perfect gift from God.

We have tried to explain it all to Collier but he really doesn't understand.  If asked where is the baby he will tell you 'in momma tummy'.  But when he and I are talking about the baby in my belly he usually asked to 'get it out' or 'wanna see it'.  Neither of which are possible at this time, which is the further confirmation that he doesn't quite get it.  Maybe once the newest little one arrives he'll begin to understand [please note I did say maybe, I'm not having unreasonable expectations...although I do know that God will work in the details of our family and especially in his little heart as we prepare for our second baby].  I pray that Collier will be a good big brother and that God prepares us all for this new addition.

Day 14

I spoke too soon.  I am now eating my words!  It happened.  Fever, it struck yesterday.  When he got up from his nap yesterday all that he wanted was his momma.  I of course went straight to him [what else is a momma to do for her little man who just wants her?].  His temperature was right at 100.4 degree's and only dropped slightly after some Motrin and before he crashed for the night.  He went to bed really early and woke up this morning really early and still had fever. More Motrin and little more rest and it finally dropped back to normal.  He did act like he was feeling better by the time I dropped him off at Mom's this morning.

So, we are now battling getting him to take his medicine for his ears.  It is white and it doesn't taste good at all.  He wants to take his pink medicine instead (which is Benedryl).  He tells me 'no white, I want pink'.  Do any of you have ANY tips on getting this in him.  The pharmacist said that we could bring it back to him and he would see if he can add some cherry flavor and see if it will change the color to pink.  It already has a grape flavor.  The problem is that he is honestly too smart for his own good and as soon as he taste it, he will not want 'pink' any more.  I know that there are smart and more experienced momma's out that that might have some suggestions.  Please help if you can.  We have held him down, which resulted in him spitting it everyone.  We have negotiated [which I do.not.like] for cookies, fruit snacks and even carousel rides. All with little luck.   Mom and I finally put it in some yogurt and after 2 bites he had it figured out and didn't want any more of that.  I am willing to try anything!

I am just ready for him to feel better and be back to normal - after 14 days.  He just wants to be held when he isn't feeling good.  I feel horrible for him and just want to snuggle with him and make him feel all better.  But not taking his medicine isn't helping.  We would appreciate prayers as well.  That he would feel better and for God's healing hand to be laid on his ears!

I'll be back later with a totally different [and much happier] topic!