1st Friday Couple, a Tree Hugger, and a Baby...

Our Cuties

2011-11-25T11:20:00.003-05:00

Just some great photos of our kids for you to enjoy... They were both helping Daddy rake leaves in our backyard!

The Eastern Shore – Maya meets the ocean

2011-08-19T17:14:00.001-04:00

I have been trying to be a bit more intentional about taking time off from work, rather than hoarding all of my vacation time and using it in one lump for a maternity leave. Whether we have more children in the future or not is irrelevant…I need to take time away from that which consumes me. While I love my job, my boss said it best… “I’d like a little less of it.” I have a tendency to work and work and work. It’s something I struggle with personally, and not something I’m proud of. Tim has less vacation time than me, and we have somewhat different ideas of what to do on vacation days (travel to a beautiful, restful (warm) place vs. work on the long and never-ending list of house projects/remodeling). It always seems like so much work to get ready to go away, and packing for overnight trips for two little munchkins involves a spreadsheet to make sure we have all of our bases covered. However, once we’re away and have the chance to relax, it seems so very worth it.

All that being said, we had an excursion several weeks ago to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to visit with some friends. We had a great time! There was no alarm (electronic, that is, cuz there certainly were other things waking us up), no pager, no e-mail, computer, charts… Just a lot of corn fields, the ocean and beach, good food, a heat index in the 130 range, a sprinkler and air conditioning to make that tolerable, good friends, more trucks and cars than Sebastian had ever seen in his life, chickens and a hamster, and crab imperial and ice cream – what more could you want? Well, I’d take the temperature to be a little more manageable, but otherwise no changes!

Big dump trucks and a wagon: Maya meets the ocean: Happy girl, Maya: Sebastian was in his glory – biggest Tonka truck ever! All four kiddos together, and yes, that’s Maya in the shopping cart!We stopped briefly on our way home for a little more beach time, and we came across a lovely, small and very quiet community called Prime Hook Beach. We’d love to return some day and stay more than an hour or two! It reminded us of the Outer Banks, and the whole time we were there, there was only one other mom and her daughter playing on the beach… and lucky for us, they shared their beach toys with Sebbie!

Daddy and Maya have the same hair-do! A lesson in crab anatomy on the beach: Baby’s first feel of ocean sand on her little tootsies :) Whee! Look, Daddy! Pure delight for this little two year old! Our time away seemed to pass much too fast, but we’re thankful for the moments that allow us to reconnect, to ground ourselves and to enjoy our precious family… til the next time!

Seriously…

2011-08-02T22:27:00.001-04:00

It’s been four months since I posted a real post on my blog, people. Four months! Granted, I had a baby (and have a 2 year old), we totally remodeled our third floor, adding a bathroom and turning an attic into a great bedroom for the au pair – live-in nanny – we welcomed into our home 2 weeks before I returned to work, we both continue to work full-time plus, the projects at home never end, we’ve taken a couple of weekend excursions, and the weekends we haven’t been out of town, I’ve been working…We always seem to burn the candle at both ends… so blogging has taken a back burner. Not because that’s what I want or desire, but simply because it’s just how life goes these days. So now, instead of finishing up my charts, going to bed, sorting through the mail, working on many unfinished tasks for work or cleaning bathrooms, I’m taking a few minutes to post a few pictures of my lovies. Enjoy! And I commit to trying to do a better job of posting more, cuz I know you’re pic-hungry for photos of my kiddos!

Sebastian exploring the front yard, fully protected with his gear (May 23, 2011) Sebastian enjoying a birthday cupcake with Aunt Jill, while little Maya looks on (May 24, 2011) . How in the world did my lil’ guy arrive at his 2nd birthday?!Sebbie doing cranio-sacral therapy on his daddy, who was having a bad headache day (May 31, 2011)!Maya in the heirloom Johnsen baby basket (June 2, 2011) – having since been passed on to the next Johnsen cuz awaiting a baby (we passed on the basket, not the baby!): Maya’s 1st day in the Bumbo at 3 1/2 months, just after she started rolling over… (June 22, 2011) – notice fancy photo-editing tool, just another app on my iPhone!: Summer fun in the pool at Grandma Judy’s house (July 4, 2011): Big girl Maya on the play mat (July 4, 2011)! All for now… there’s so much more to tell – Seb’s 2nd b-day party, our trip to NYC, Maya’s well child checks (and Seb’s as well), the new tricycle, a trip to the Eastern Shore (and to the beach), hiking, and much, much more! But the clock is ticking and this mama doesn’t like to live by an alarm, but now she has two – Miss Maya and my new iPhone (yes, I made the switch, and I’m in LOVE)!

XOXO – more later!

- Kirsten for the JM fam

Maya Dedicated

2011-08-02T21:37:00.001-04:00

A blast from the past… Here’s a review from Maya’s dedication, which occurred Sunday, May 15th, 2011, when Maya was about 9 weeks old. We were so grateful to have many family and friends in attendance for the service, and then several who joined us at our home for refreshments and fellowship afterwards! Thank you so much to all who walk the journey with us – we are so appreciative of your love and care for us as a family. We are blessed, and we know our children are too, by your presence in our lives.

We shared a letter that we had written to Maya with our church family:

Dear Maya Hope,

Today we stand before our family, friends & church community to publicly make a commitment to raise you in a way that honors and pleases God. Our love for you is great, and yet we realize that we are only human, and we need God’s helping hand to bring you up in this world. We also recognize that we are abundantly blessed to have the love, support & guidance of many who surround us today. These people are very special, and we want you to know, love & appreciate them as we do.

We're so thankful for you and for the opportunity to be your parents. We know that your life is an opportunity from God and an inspiration to let Christ shine through us by being even more intentional in our pursuit of holiness and the presence of God in our home and in this world. This truly is an occasion to reflect on God’s goodness and to celebrate.

Your birth was strikingly different than your brother’s – thank you! After having a c-section to deliver Sebastian, I desired so much not to have another c-section and was fearful that history may repeat itself. However, you were welcomed into this world without needing surgery. We know that God’s protection was over me while I was in labor, and we are so incredibly thankful for the best labor team around – they were amazing and made all the difference in your arrival!

Maya means “great one.” We have taken the liberty of modifying the meaning of your name, Maya Hope, to “one of great hope.” Your entry into this world represented that for us, and we believe your life will draw others to the One of great hope.

Your big brother loves and adores you. We’re sure he’ll have much to teach you as you grow older. He’s already become an expert in trucks and puzzles. It has been so fun to observe Sebastian’s developing personality – he has such a loving and outgoing spirit. We look forward to watching you blossom into the person God intended you to be as well. We already see your bright and joyful spirit in your smiles and laughs and the sparkle in your eyes.

Again, our hearts swell with love and joy. Our prayer is that we be faithful to the call to rise up and serve as your earthly parents, nurturing you in love and truth, so that you may grow to know of your heavenly Father in a personal and special way, and that you would develop a heart for peace, justice, human rights and service to all of God’s people. We love you Maya Hope!

Some more shots of the special day…folks we love mucho, and who love us too!

The official announcement…

2011-05-02T11:37:00.001-04:00

Finally got Maya’s birth announcements done and printed!

Resurrected

2011-04-24T15:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter! Tim has suggested that if we do any kind of Easter gifts for our children, that they be “resurrected” things. We started the tradition this year right on track. As I have grown accustomed to (and more comfortable with) my husband’s tendencies to go trash-digging over the years, I have also become rather fond of consignment shops and sales. It’s a good blend for the two of us. I had been saying that I wanted to make Seb a sandbox this year. I was thinking wood, nails, hammer, etc. Meanwhile, Tim found this turtle-shaped sandbox in the neighbor’s trash – they were cleaning out their house as they sold it and moved a few weeks ago. Free! And no building involved. ;) I cleaned it up a bit, found the perfect spot in our yard for it, got some sand (that stuff is heavy!), and scored a great dump truck at the consignment shop for $1.00. While Seb was sleeping yesterday afternoon, we fixed it all up and placed the truck on top of the sandbox lid. Upon awakening, he looked out of his window and began to exclaim “Truck! Truck!” When he was informed that the truck was sitting on top of a sandbox, it was pure delight! He just couldn’t get outside fast enough!

Had it not been dinner-time, the Easter surprise would have created hours and hours of playing and fun. Thank goodness I was serving up Sebastian’s favorite dinner – pizza – which was just enough to convince him to come inside!

May you rejoice in and celebrate the resurrected Life! (And celebrate the resurrected toys too!)

To go along with his new red boots…

2011-04-24T00:03:00.001-04:00

As the April showers kept coming, I decided it was time for Sebbie to have a raincoat to go along with his new red rain boots. I picked up this yellow raincoat for the happy munchkin at my favorite consignment shop, Miracles (which, yes, I am addicted to). Sebastian couldn’t have been more excited! The raincoat has school buses, trucks, cars and road signs on it. Rain or no rain, inside or out, he’s thrilled to wear the coat whenever he can!And there he is playing with his current favorite toy – a puzzle called “ready, steady, tow!” A friend from church gave him this as a big brother gift, and I’m quite certain not a day has gone by when he hasn’t put the puzzle together at least half a dozen times. Oh, except for the day he lost his puzzle privileges for a day – that was a very sad day in our house!

Four weeks with Maya

2011-04-22T10:15:00.001-04:00

The many faces of our four week old baby girl! It’s hard to believe she’s actually 7 weeks old today, and these photos were taken 3 weeks ago! She continues to change and grow each day. As you can see, she had started to smile responsively by the time she was four weeks old. She’s a very good baby, and makes her parents quite proud (and EXTREMELY happy!) as she has been sleeping through the night fairly consistently since she as about one week old. No complaints here! We waited for Seb to honor us in such a way ‘til he was 9 months old!

We visited Dr. Donna for her one month well child check, and as is the tradition in the JM household, here’s her photo:

She weighed in at 9 lbs, 7.4 ozs, and her length was 22 1/2 inches. Growing, growing!

She’s loved by all… especially her big brother, who always wants to kiss her, hold her, and give her a nuk!

A tree-hugger among us!

2011-04-21T22:04:00.001-04:00

We have a son that absolutely adores being outside. In fact, we often struggle most with his behavior related to him wanting to be outside. When it’s time to come in, he resists terribly, or if it’s not time to be outside, he often begs to go outside. Seriously, if this kid would be allowed, he’d be outside all. day. long. Rain or snow, sleet or hail, hot or cold. We remember the days when he was an infant and would cry, cry, cry. Nothing would console him, until Tim stepped over the threshold of the door and took him outside. It was almost magical (and rather comical) to watch – you’d hear crying, then silence, crying, silence… as Tim was going back and forth between the foyer and the front porch! Sebastian’s love for the outdoors continues, and he’s ever-so-eager to share his enthusiasm with his baby sister, Maya. We took our first “family of four” hike about 2 weeks ago. We went to one of my favorite spots – Tucquan Glen. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and getting out was good for the body and the soul! We’re happy to have a little guy who is addicted to the outdoors as opposed to TV and video games. We celebrate his enthusiasm for nature!

Casting the vision

2011-04-02T10:29:00.001-04:00

I had wanted to do a belly cast for this pregnancy, as I had done for Sebastian. And my dear friend, midwife, professional belly-caster, Jennifer, made it work into her schedule to come for a visit in order to get the belly cast done before the baby came – we did this on February 20th, just a few days before my due date.

For anyone who’s ever considered this, I highly recommend it – not only is it a very neat way to capture your beautiful belly while carrying a child, but it’s also just really cool to experience the plaster on your belly while the little one is moving around, trying to “break the mold,” so to speak!

It was amazing to me to see how different my belly casts turned out from the two different pregnancies. Of course they say that the way you carry a pregnancy dictates what gender of baby you’ll have… not sure how much truth there is to that, but it seemed to hold true this time around for me. ;)

Even though my hubby is always questioning what in the world we’re going to do with these belly casts that are lying around our house, Jennifer and I were able to get him involved and cast his hand into cast #2. We didn’t take nearly as many pictures (um, if any) of my belly this time around – I guess that’s what happens when you have a very active toddler to chase after and life at home and work is going at a pace faster than you can keep up with! For that reason, I’m happy to have the cast, and glad to have Tim’s hand in it too! And someday, I will do something with these things… I have a vision for them, which involves painting them, preserving them, hanging them, etc., but it will just be a matter of time til I make that vision a reality!

Thank you for my red boots

2011-04-01T12:25:00.001-04:00

Sebastian recently received a pair of red boots that his Grandma M scored for him. He is in LOVE with these things; if he had it his way, he would wear them all day long and everywhere…probably even to bed! Here he shares a special message with his Grandma! Thank you, Grandma M! XOXO!

Big brother, growing big

2011-03-12T11:38:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for the big brother, Sebastian. This was the day’s events for a growing 21 month old:

1. Woke up asking for kefir… yes, kefir! How many 21 month olds ask for kefir first thing in the morning?

2. Went pee pee in the potty STANDING UP for the first time!

3. Climbed into his highchair all by himself (see video):

4. Finished the day by eating way more Ethiopian food than I did, all the while insisting that he pull off his own pieces of injera and scoop up his food properly.

Maya Hope’s Newborn Photos

2011-03-11T09:29:00.000-05:00

We welcomed Regina from Radiant Images into our home again to capture images of our newborn baby girl, Maya. She had also done Sebastian’s newborn photos, and as always, she did a fantastic job! Click on the photo above to go to Regina’s blog, where you can catch a glimpse of some of the photos she took. We’re anxious to see how they all turned out! Maya was a mere five days old when these pictures were taken. She’s changing so fast, right before our eyes!

Maternity Shots for Baby #2

2011-01-16T22:10:00.001-05:00

Approaching the 35th week of pregnancy… we finally got some belly shots this afternoon. This time around was a very different experience from our last pregnancy photo shoot, as we we trying to corral Sebastian, engage him and get some photos of the two or three (or four!) of us! At least we’re able to document the fact that I am pregnant with this baby…

Holiday.Family.Fun

2011-01-08T23:53:00.001-05:00

The holidays have come and gone in the blink of an eye and are done for the year… unless you count my upcoming big-ish birthday. It seemed like such a whirlwind between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but we enjoyed some great times together as a family. We’re blessed to have most of our family nearby, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to see those that don’t live so close around this time of year.

I don’t recall ever making a gingerbread house as a child, and it was great fun to do that on Thanksgiving Day at Tim’s parents’ home. All the kids – big and small – gathered at the kitchen table to create their masterpieces. It was quite the contest! This is our “green” house that adorns the buffet in our dining room now.

And some more shots of the gang showing off their work:

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And the winner was:

We all put money in a pot to participate in the contest, and the winner got to choose which charitable organization he or she wanted to donate the money to. I’m not sure what organization Angel decided upon, but it was a great way to share our blessings with others at Thanksgiving.

While on the ginger bread theme, we had another grand time making ginger bread cookies with our niece and nephew (my brother’s kids). A lesson learned, however: ginger bread cookie batter should not be made with whole wheat flour. It just-so-happened to be the only flour I had in the house, but now I know it’s worth a jaunt to the grocery store!

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We took the annual excursion to get a Christmas Tree with my parents and my brother and his family the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Frysville Farms is a family-owned business that has great trees and good prices, plus the largest selection of poinsettias I’ve ever seen and a horse-drawn hay ride, with hot apple cider to warm you up at the end. Unfortunately this year during our hay ride, we were taken right past the incinerator, which was full of plastic that they seemingly are burning. Blech! Not only is this a huge disappointment for us, but may be cause for change of location next year. Tim’s planning to write a letter to the company conveying our sadness and impetus for no longer being customers. So here’s a series of photos from what may have been our last trip to this particular farm…

Despite the less-than-eco-friendly encounter, we enjoyed ourselves, and it helped us to get a little more into the spirit of things this season. Never mind the fact that our tree, wreaths and swags sat on our front porch for several weeks afterwards… our house sure looks beautiful with it’s holiday touch now!

Bath time, bath time!

2011-01-08T22:11:00.001-05:00

One of Sebastian’s favorite past-times is bath time. Before bed each night, Sebbie signs “bath time” indicating it’s time to get the evening routine underway (and for some reason we always say “bath time, bath time” as part of the cue. During his bath, he plays and plays and plays in the water, splashing, giggling, smiling and helping to wet and rinse his own hair. It’s usually difficult to convince him that bath time is over and that it’s time to go to bed. But he knows that when the water runs out, it’s time to get out of the tub. One of his favorite Christmas toys was this addition – the red tug boat - to his bath time toy collection… thanks to Aunt Traci, Uncle Steve and cousins, Isaac and Lauryn.

I’m pretty certain they don’t come much cuter than this little guy! And, Sebastian gained big points and lots of hugs, kisses and high-fives this week when he peed on his new potty – TWICE! Tim might get his wish after all – only one child in diapers at a time! I’m not holding my breath, but it certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing!

Sneak preview of the family Christmas photo…

2010-11-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

Just a little bit of photo editing and look what we have – a lovely family, all bundled for the wintry, snowy (huh?) weather… hats included! It really was cold, people!

Beach Trip

2010-11-27T15:46:00.001-05:00

It seems a bit odd to be posting these photos now, when we were at the beach over 2 1/2 months ago, and it’s now getting blistery cold… but in an effort to forget about the temperature outside and my winter garb, as well as catch up a bit on posting, I thought I’d post away…!

We spent a weekend in Ocean City, MD with our dear friends, Marvin & Dori. It was beautiful mid-September weather, the temperature was in the 70’s, and we were thrilled to be hanging out in OC during “bike week!” We didn’t know exactly what to expect, but it was a cultural experience, nonetheless.

Two preggers, two daddies, a super adorable toddler, lots of fantastic food, great company… what more could we ask for?!?

Take a peak at some of my favorites from the get-away:

Still didn’t have a big enough belly to prevent me from carrying Sebbie in the Ergo on my front! My, how things change in such a short period of time!

Nanny Dori & Sebastian watching the waves.

Loved, loved, loved to play in the sand!

Buried daddy! Where’d his legs go?

Evening stroll on the boardwalk…

That baby ended up weighing almost 10 pounds! I’m sure it had nothing to do with Thrasher’s fries (see below)…Holy French fries! I’ve never seen such a thing in all my life… but boy, were they delicious! Not sure who ate more – Sebastian or the pregnant mommies!

One last walk on the beach before we loaded up the car and headed home, after a great weekend away. It was time too apply aloe vera and drink lots of H2O, especially for the men-folk in the group!

And after it was all said and done, I think we might go back for “bike week” again! The price was right, and never mind the roaring motorcycle engines and too much leather for beach attire…! It was a blessing to have a little escape and share a wonderful time with our friends!

Yummm!…Chocolate Chip pancakes

2010-10-22T14:48:00.001-04:00

Saturdays are often the perfect time for a family breakfast of high fiber, whole grain pancakes. We start with a recipe in More With Less cookbook (p.74 – Apple Walnut pancakes) and then edit from there. Replace the white flower with spelt, oat bran & wheat germ. Use flaxseed oil for the oil or use 3 T of flax per 1 T of oil if you want extra fiber!

This particular day Kirsten had a hankerin’ for something sweet (not uncommon for the Johnsen Martins). So we added some chocolate chunks. I (daddy Tim) was trying to limit the chocolate in Seb’s pancakes --- b/c of the sugar & messyness---but some leaked thru. That’s why they make bibs :)

I’m a big boy!

2010-10-16T15:58:00.001-04:00

Walking in daddy’s shoes!

And I am sooo cute! Catch me if you can!

Catching up on stats and Sebastian-isms

2010-10-16T12:48:00.001-04:00

It’s been forever and a day since I posted the stats for Sebastian’s well child visits. Fortunately, now that he’s older, they are more spaced out, so I’m not that far behind in number of visits, just the number of months that have gone by. Sebbie continues to love to visit his Dr. Donna and nurse Acnery (expert shot-giver), and he always does so well!

This is Mr. Cutie Pie’s 1 year visit, where he weighed 21 lbs, 5 oz. He apparently wanted to have his eyes checked, because he wouldn’t let go of the eye shield for the visual acuity exam.

Here’s the 15 month visit, where he checked in at 23 lbs, 12 ozs.

This time around he wasn’t willing to give up the snack cup, so we might have to calculate a couple of ounces less to account for the goldfish!

I’m beginning to feel like one of those moms who does a fantastic baby book for their 1st child, but all the others lose out on all the details of growth and development, because the daily ins and outs of life get in the way… except that it started happening around the time my 1st baby was just 9 months old! There’s always the need to balance living life and writing about it, but since I don’t have a baby book, this blog is my record of all things Sebastian.

A few other details about Sebbie:

He now has 4 1/2 teeth (he’s slow to grow ‘em, but they say they’re stronger teeth when they come in later?!?).
He signs and/or understands about 15-20 words in American Sign Language – we’ll have to get a video up soon of some of his signs.
He doesn’t just walk, but rather runs everywhere.
One of his favorite things is bath-time, and he sometimes even asks for it when he first wakes up or when it’s the middle of the afternoon.
He knows that mommy has a baby in her belly and gives hugs, kisses and gentle touches to the baby.
He stopped nursing just before he turned 16 months – this was particularly hard for me, but probably a good thing for both of us, since it allows me to prepare for the next little one, and it allows Sebastian to be used to not nursing in preparation for his little sibling. This was a Sebastian-driven decision, which I suppose made it easier for me, as opposed to feeling like I needed to wean him.
His favorite things to play with these days are his Weebles tree house (birthday gift from cousins Isaac and Lauryn), and his Melissa and Doug animal magnets and miniature puzzles. These have provided hours and hours of entertainment!
The sweetest things are his hugs and kisses for mommy, daddy and others, and most endearing is when he sees his cousin, Ryan (4 months older), they always embrace and share nuks!

We continue to count it such a joy and a blessing to parent this little charmer of a guy! He has definitely begun to have his moments of terrible twos (who said it was OK for this to happen early?… temper tantrums at 16 months, really?!?), but he is still a happy camper for the most part, smiling and waving at all, flirting with the ladies all the time, and making our lives more complete.

Visiting West Virginia

2010-10-16T12:13:00.001-04:00

We had a fantastic long weekend visit to West Virginia over Labor Day weekend this year. The weather was perfect, the company fantastic, and overall we had a super time away. The drive was l-o-n-g, but Sebastian and pregnant mommy both did surprisingly well. We were welcomed into the home of Cristy and her parents. Our dear friend Cristy is living in Malawi, serving as the medical director at a large Seventh Day Adventist hospital, and she typically makes it home every summer for about 5-6 weeks of visiting. She usually makes the trek to Lancaster to see us, but this year she asked if we would visit her parents’ home in WV, and we were thrilled to head south and west. It was a blessing to get away, to be in a home full of lovin’, en joy the beautiful outdoors, and eat fabulous food!

Here are some of my favorite shots from the weekend…

All of the gang (minus me, the photographer), hiking at a nearby park.

The happy family of three plus a little extra JM growing inside…

We spent a whole day on the nearby lake, soaking up the Indian Summer sun, water-skiing (except for pregnant mamas and little toddlers)… Timmy picked up fast, after having not skied in probably 20 years.

Cristy skied with glamour, grace and confidence, just as she completes most tasks:

And Steve was a sportster pro, doing all sorts of fancy tricks!

Sebastian was not so convinced about being in the water…

but he loved driving the big boat, and he took his job very seriously!

Donna and Sebbie bonded well, and she did a great job of shading his pale skin from the sun.

We had a great time, all smiles!

Many, many thanks to Cristy, Donna and Steve for a lovely weekend in WV! We’ll be back again… maybe with another little munchkin in tow next time!

Cristy, we love you bunches, miss you and hope you’re well! One of these days we’ll share adventures in Malawi.

Oh, they taste good!

2010-10-13T09:50:00.001-04:00

Our little boy sure likes things sweet. You know those generic Cheerios called ‘Ohs’. He seemed so fine with those until he got a taste of animal crackers. Not sure why they call them crackers since they are really a cookie. But, if Seb is the authority on whether they are a cracker or cookie, we’ll have to go with cracker---he gives the cracker sign every time he wants some. It was the fastest he learned any of the signs—check out this video to see the ASL version… Seb’s is a bit more animated, but still need to catch it on video.

Back to the ‘Ohs’. I found a way to reintroduce them today. Being a stay at home dad this week it is time for some more experimentation. I decided to let him dunk his ‘Ohs’ in his yogurt after he initiated. Maybe he saw daddy dunk some tasty treats in his coffee [That’s right…I am a dunker!]. Sure it was messy and more to clean up. But, he did eat them and look at how much he was enjoying himself.

This self-feeding thing is messy. Of course, I had to think how anything I do the first few times is equally messy. As an adult I often don’t want to admit that. Though, seeing life through the eyes of a child helps me to offer an extra measure of grace to myself and others. Some extra grace, now we’re talkin’ sweet.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-09-10T22:25:00.001-04:00

Fall seems to be upon us! It was a perfect day in West Virginia for pumpkin patch pictures last Sunday. The Shanks graciously shared their pumpkins with us and Seb went to town exploring all of the pumpkins – big and small – around. There were some ginormous pumpkins around! And Sebbie even got to bring one home = one happy camper!

Sebastian has an announcement!

2010-09-10T21:06:00.000-04:00

Our little tyke is getting not-so-little anymore. In fact, he’s running around all over the place keeping us on our toes. He has had a special announcement that he has wanted to share for awhile now, so I finally told him it was OK to spread the news! Check out his t-shirt, which tells all…

That’s right… Sebastian is going to be a big brother!!! He expects a special delivery around the end of February or beginning of March.

We’re very excited to share this news! I’ve been feeling great (except for being tired), and I’m incredibly thankful for that, because work has been absolutely, overwhelmingly crazy… and I wouldn’t have been able to do “work” had I been sick. Hallelujah!

We covet your prayers as I continue to grow this new life inside of me. Thanks for continuing to walk the journey with us. Love to all!

And… a poem from Tim, definitely worthy of sharing:

late in the month of Feb
we'll see another Seb
our family will grow this much I know
be it a boy or girl
we'll take either for a whirl
the ride is sure amazin'
even if sometimes hair raisin'
we certainly are not pros
yet our wisdom each day grows
resting on each other and God
our heads bow, wobble and nod

Oregon, here we came!

2010-09-10T21:05:00.001-04:00

Our dear friends, Jennifer Gwen & Seth James, got hitched in Portland. We were honored to attend their lovely ceremony in a beautiful setting – a gorgeous estate turned into gardens, endless fields of blackberries, a golf course, and a gazillion different places to eat and lodge.

Our little guy looked quite dapper in his guayabera, and was a big hit with all the girls, but he was a bit too interested in all the things to see and do on the grounds to catch much of the ceremony. Daddy Tim was the self-designated entertainer, so he missed a bunch of the ceremony, but was totally there in spirit, nonetheless.

Their flowers were just lovely (as you can see above, Sebastian thought so too!)…

And of course the bride was as stunning as ever.

The happy couple was glowing with beams of light after they were officially pronounced (and maybe I was shooting directly into the sunlight, which may have contributed to the glow :)…). Regardless, they looked so happy, at peace and in love!

The next day we went on a group hike in a nearby park/arboretum. The weather was gorgeous – hot for Portland, but just right for us, with no humidity, which was such a treat, compared to what we had left at home.

Here’s the newlyweds with Jennifer’s parents. And Jennifer with her papa!

Of course Sebastian was a happy camper, like usual, in the Ergo enjoying nature and chillin’ with his parents.

The tales of our trip would not be complete without showing you all what Sebastian found most entertaining about our hotel room in Portland:

The day before we travelled home, we took a drive to the Oregon coast, which was beautiful. It was about 20 degrees cooler than Portland, so a bit of a shocker, but it felt great to hear the waves crashing against gigantic rocks and cliffs and feel the cold, wet sand in between our toes.

Here are my two favorite boys:

All three of us…

And my beach glamour shot, thanks to Tim!

It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, but we had a great time, were thankful for a little getaway, and enjoyed ourselves. Sebastian even survived the non-stop, almost six hour plane ride across the country. He did amazingly well adjusting to the time change, while his parents struggled a bit to stay up late at night and not get up so early in the morning. If only a 4 day trip could have been a week or 10 days! Maybe next time… :)

Congrats to Jennifer & Seth! We love you guys! Mua!

Visits with cousins and animals

2010-08-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

Isaac & Lauryn came to visit Grandma Judy & Papa Roy for a whole week this summer. This was the first time that Lauryn came along – Isaac was kind enough to share his grandparents with his sister. They had a week full of activities with their grandparents, and they patiently waited for a chance to see their favorite cousin, Sebastian! They got to go to a petting zoo, which they enjoyed, and Sebastian (of course) was totally fascinated by the animals. He couldn’t get close enough!

Despite my mixed feelings about petting zoos in general, it was great fun to watch the kids be so joy-filled as the animals took food right from their hands. The one thing that nearly drove me bonkers, though, was that a family showed up with a huge bag of cereal that they were feeding to the animals… instead of the animal feed that was available for 25 cents at the farm. Ugh! I guess they had some difficulty reading and understanding the signage. I feel sorry for them, but more so for the animals (even though the animals didn’t seem to mind the different flavors).

Here’s some shots of the kiddos enjoying their day:

The best part of it all is that Sebastian pretty much thinks every animal makes a doggy sound, so he barks at almost all the animals he sees… ruff! ruff! Every now and then we get a moo out of him, too. Sweet, sweet boy. :)

Nicaragua 1: The Intro

2010-06-27T21:35:00.001-04:00

We were approached by a friend of mine, MMS, who invited us to serve as the “Program Coordinators” for an experiential learning service trip to Nicaragua for students from Allegheny College. It seemed like a no-brainer when she asked. I heart Nicaragua in a huge way, and I’m pretty sure that Tim’s love for the country is growing with more and more experience there… and of course Sebastian was eager to see the place where his parents “found” his name. So, we packed up our bags and all the baby gear we thought we’d need for 11 days and headed to Nicaragua.

We made our way to Houston, where we met up with a group of 20 students from Allegheny College – 17 women and 3 men, most of whom are pre-health students. They were an outstanding group of young adults – interested, committed, concerned and full of energy and enthusiasm (I had forgotten what kind of energy you have when you’re 20 years old!).

Our purpose in Nicaragua was to work with Project Chacocente, a non-profit organization founded by a gringa who had visited the dump of Managua – La Chureca – and decided that she needed to do something to help out. She purchased a plot of land with the idea that her organization would assist families living and working in La Chureca to relocate and build sustainable housing, a school, income-generating businesses, and healthy lifestyles. Several families were selected to move to Project Chacocente, about an hour’s drive from the dump, and they committed to working in the community for a minimum of 5 years, after which time their houses and plots of land would become theirs. In 2010, the community has grown to 8 families.

We worked on three main projects while were at Chacocente…

The first project was building a computer lab for their local school. We did it all by hand from carrying the cement blocks to mixing the cement to laying the blocks and cutting rebar and wire reinforcements.

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The second project was digging a septic tank for the toilets at the school. Currently they are using latrines, but they needed something deeper, with larger capacity. So we partnered in digging 20 feet down. It sure gets tough to breath when you’re down that deep underground! And yes, we did this all by hand…

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And the third project was splitting and digging up plantain trees and transplanting them into new holes that we dug – again, by hand – in order to space them out better with the hopes that it would produce a better crop.

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Lots of sweat and sore muscles were poured into these projects. Our students worked side by side with the folks from the community and didn’t complain about the scorching heat or their tired, achy bodies. They made us all very proud, and we were honored to share in this experience with them.

More to come on our adventures in the Motherland… poco a poco!

Seb’s 1st Birthday Party!

2010-06-26T13:12:00.001-04:00

After a wonderful two weeks in Nicaragua we returned home with a day to finish planning and preparing for Seb’s big 1st birthday party. We are so grateful for super family and friends that pulled together to help us pull it off…especially since I was still in the midst of Monteczuma’s Revenge!

We gathered at the Pavilion at my parents’ church; it was a gorgeous day and we had lots of activities for everyone to enjoy and no one went hungry.

Although the birthday boy was a bit uncertain about birthday cake in Nicaragua, by the time he had his second chance, he was convinced it was a good thing. This is what he started with (mommy snuck in a blueberry muffin and decorated it with frosting and sprinkles):

which turned into this…

and then this….

and finally this…

Our little tyke is getting to be such a big boy! Thanks to all for sharing in our special day for Sebastian. We were so glad to celebrate with our dear family and friends!

I hope to post a slide show or photo album soon to give you a glimpse of many of the happy faces at the party.

"nothing but net"

2010-06-15T21:55:00.004-04:00

Check out this link for an awesome project that my cousin-in-law is doing. Please, please, please consider helping out! I'm the proud owner of a beautiful CJJ quilt. She's raffling off a gorgeous quilt to help fund mosquito nets for families in Africa. Having spent many a night under a mosquito net in Africa and other places around the world, AND having seen and treated many a case of malaria, I wholeheartedly appreciate and support her efforts!

Read all about the project on her blog, and click away to enter the raffle!

Oh yeah, and if you'd like to know what WE have been doing over the past two months, check back soon. I hope to post some updates in the very near future. Stay tuned! :)

Happy 1st birthday!

2010-05-24T01:47:00.004-04:00

Can you guess what I've been doing to start celebrating my big 1st birthday?!? Boy, do I have stories to tell!

La Gran Manzana!

2010-04-22T20:59:00.001-04:00

Sebastian had his first trip to the Big Apple, NYC, last weekend. He did marvelously well. I’m sure it helps that we spent time with great friends, “Tia” Jennifer and “Tio” Seth, who love & adore him and are just so great to be with. We had a fabulous time checking out the sites, hanging with our dear friends, eating fantastic food, and quadruple parenting Seb for the weekend. It’s super special to be able to spend time with friends who are invested in not only our lives, but also the life of our baby, and care for him as if he were their own. Sea Bass (as they call Sebastian) had a wonderful time, misses you guys tons, and says “thanks and I love you!”

Here’s my peeps on the Highline, a very cool walkway of sorts, created on old elevated train tracks. See how they’re all loving on my baby?! What a warm fuzzy vibe they emit.

No pun intended on the cool bit… it was incredibly windy!

Believe it or not, I was there too! Although, I was the least appropriately dressed. Short sleeves and open shoes without socks – ummm, not okay.

I love this picture of Seth and Sebastian! Sea Bass has just learned to give kisses in the past week or so, and he was giving Seth a smooch, which I managed to catch on film. So, so sweet!

Bath time in NYC is so much fun! Sebbie got to take a bath two nights in a row in S & J’s brand new kitchen sink (in their brand new kitchen), while Chef Seth was prepping dinner right beside him. Farmer sinks are great for giving baby baths!

He (we) experienced all sorts of new things, including diaper changes on the bench in Central Park. Note to travelers heading to Central Park – there are no baby changing stations in the bathrooms (at least the ones we were in) – but the bench seemed to work just fine.

Of course there was time for crawling in Central Park, too!

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And even a little time for family photos…

and some mommy and daddy smoochin’ time. Sebbie didn’t seem to mind – he’s too preoccupied with Jennifer’s sunglasses.

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Sea Bass was fascinated by Seth & Jennifer’s attempts at Super Man stunts…I think they’re practicing for a special routine for a special event! :) And I don’t imagine it will be too far off before Seb is trying some stunts on his own!

Our little guy still got his naptime in while we were in NYC (hooray!). He was pretty tuckered out by all the excitement going on, and took naps each day in the Ergo Baby Carrier – which we were borrowing, thanks to Rachel. We were doing a trial of Ergo baby wearing before we take the plunge and make the purchase for our upcoming trip to Nicaragua. Sebastian was quite content!

So there you have it! A flurry of activity… with lots of other exciting and special things going on! We even got in a visit with Linda and Lenny, some surrogate grandparents who live in NYC (previously in Lancaster), who met us for brunch on Sunday.

We often comment on how much work it seems to take to get us ready to get out the door and go away somewhere. But once we’re on our way and THERE, it all seems so very worth it.

Good times.

The method behind our madness

2010-04-13T22:23:00.004-04:00

Here's a link to the article on sleep training that we read and have been following (with a few personal touches and variations): http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Care/Sleep-Training.
The great thing is that it's actually working. The nighttime routine is going beautifully! Tonight I nursed Sebastian and put him down in the crib, then walked out of the room. He was awake, and we never heard a peep after that. I went back about 20 minutes later to make sure he was asleep (and breathing and all that other stuff I do when I check on him), and sure enough...he was fast asleep. Last night I put him down at 8:15 pm, waited in his room for a few minutes, then left quietly...and this morning at 7:45 am he let us know he was awake by making a little squeaky noise. We're on day 9 of the process... and it's definitely a process. But being on this side of the fence makes it seem like those long, drawn out nights a week and a half ago were very worth it!
We're still having to work a little harder on naps, but they seem to be getting better too.
Just wanted to share, cuz I think it's been a great method, at least for us. We had briefly tried a little "cry it out" and "Ferber" methods, but it wasn't for me (us). Plus, we were attempting it right about the time that Sebastian started to really struggle with teething, which made matters significantly worse.
I've begun to think that Kim West (the "sleeplady") is a smart gal. I like her. And I like a sleeping baby! :)

Sleep training

2010-04-09T11:19:00.001-04:00

So this is what happens when little boys are so, so, so tired… while you’re trying to sleep train them!

He finally soothed himself to sleep after an hour and twenty minutes of effort, but he fell asleep slumped over, head face down in the mattress between his legs.

It was all fine and dandy til mommy had to wake him up 15 minutes later (doh! bad, bad mommy!) to take him to a meeting at the clinic. I was frantically calling neighbors to see if anyone was around that could sit in the house for an hour or so til I got home. But to no avail…

Fortunately he was on his best behavior, like usual, at the clinic… despite the naptime being cut super short. And later in the afternoon, he returned to take a nap (this time after about 35-40 minutes of effort) which lasted two hours and fifteen minutes. Ahhh…

Day 5 and counting…

Times two!

2010-04-08T18:54:00.001-04:00

These first two teeth seemed to take forever! I mean forever.

But now they’re here, and the calm has returned… at least for a little while. And we’ve learned a lot about empathizing with other parents (and babies) who are teething.

I snapped these shots on March 30, 2010, which seemed to be the first day I could really see both teeth fully broken through the gums and actually looking like teeth.

Some days were rather trying to say the least…our little guy didn’t seem like himself. He was more irritable than usual. He all of a sudden became clingy. He would scream during feedings. Yes, even our smiley, laughing baby would scream. And Scream. Plus naptime and bedtime became huge battles. What used to take a few minutes to get him to bed was taking what felt like hours. Thank goodness for Humphreys and Motrin!

He now seems to be pretty much back to his normal, cheery self, minus the napping and bedtime routine. That’s where sleep training comes in… which is what we’re in the midst of now. This probably makes my friend, Rachel, a bit happy inside (it’s OK to admit it), because she has always envied Sebastian’s good sleeping habits compared to her little boys! Part of me wonders if she told him to act up like this in one of their private conversations they’ve had recently! Sebastian sure won’t tell. He’s great at keeping secrets! So, Rach…Was it you?!

The first of many…

2010-04-08T18:06:00.001-04:00

That’s what I’m told at least.

That this will be the first of many:

Sebastian took a dive right into the corner of a wooden box/activity center and gashed his eyebrow open. Talk about an ache in a mother’s heart! That’s what hit me after my immediate first aid responder reaction, which involved gathering him up in my arms, rushing him to the sink to clean out the wound, then holding pressure while nursing til he stopped screaming. After several minutes, his wound was still oozing, and my objective doctor brain turned off and my mommy brain and emotions kicked in. And then came the ache. I decided I should run down to the clinic to have one of my partners look at him.

So one of my dear doctor friends (or better said, dear friends who happens to be a doctor), Rachel, came to the rescue. She was initially talking about putting Dermabond on his wound, which is a glorified version of super glue. It’s made for skin and holds things together nicely so you can avoid stitches. Rachel’s words to me were: “so, do you want to hold him or should I board him?” What!! Board my baby? No way, I said…! But then we decided that a steri-strip would be just fine. So Doctor Rachel did just that. And there was no boarding involved. Thank goodness. Sure, I do it to other kids (strap them down on a board for procedures), but not my own baby!

She did a darn good job, that Rachel. And she was kind, tender-hearted and compassionate as she did it (no strapping Sebastian down on a board or anything). She even kissed little Seb when it was all over.

This booboo happened about 3 weeks ago, and the wound has healed very nicely. There’s a faint little scar, which you can hardly see unless you’re looking for it. Hopefully over time, it will fade altogether. Especially if this really is the first of many. Geesh.

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T17:16:00.001-04:00

It feels like forever since I’ve written any entries on our blog. Life has carried on at a super fast pace, and blogging just couldn’t be a priority… however, I’ve got lots of catching up to do, so hope to be able to fill in some of the gaps.

I’ll start with Easter. The weather couldn’t have been any better. It was gorgeous. We started our day with breakfast at the house, followed by church, where we were able to join together in fellowship and support for our niece, who was baptized. It brought back vivid memories for me, as I recalled being baptized myself some 25 years prior on Easter Sunday. What a special way to celebrate our risen Lord and Savior!

We then came home to enjoy brunch. It was our first day off the Maker’s Diet, so technically we could have eaten whatever we wanted. We hemmed and hawed about the possibility of going out to eat somewhere, but in the end decided to come home for brunch. Funny, though… we ate only things which are acceptable on the Maker’s Diet. We had scrumptious omelets and Ezekiel bread toast.

In the afternoon, we headed out to Tim’s parents’ house for our family gathering. Most folks went to the nearby park to hit some balls, but I stayed back at the house, because Sebastian had chosen to save his nap-time for the car ride. We didn’t want to take him out of the car seat for fear he’d wake up – he desperately needed a nap – so we rolled down the windows and let him nap with me close by in hearing distance. It wasn’t until two hours later that he decided to join the party. I wasn’t complaining at all, though, because he napped well and I got the chance to sit in the warm sun and just relax… which seemed long overdue.

Tim’s family has a tradition of doing an Easter egg hunt with all the kids, so Sebbie got his first shot at finding some eggs. He had a little help from his uncle and parents, but he did a good job!

I know I shouldn’t boast, but seriously… how cute are these two? Sebastian is spoiled to have many cousins nearby to play with and grow up with. He continues to be a very social baby… and he loves to be up on his daddy’s shoulders, with or without a friend! These guys are going to have so much fun together!

A good day was had by all… and in the end, we did have some non-Maker’s Diet foods, such as peanut butter eggs, pie and ice cream. We were trying to enter back in slowly, for fear that our bodies might not tolerate such a shock to the system so well. But it was oh. so. tasty. to have that cold creamy friend sliding down my throat! And at the first bite of a dark chocolate peanut butter egg, I said to Tim, “the Lord has risen.” And his response was “He has risen indeed!”

Eating is fun!

2010-03-18T16:24:00.003-04:00

This kiddo loves the food his mommy makes for him! I hope he laughs like this forever!

The visit

2010-03-12T20:00:00.006-05:00

Today was Sebastian's 9 month well child check... at about 9 1/2 months. He's getting to be such a big boy!

He weighed in at 20 lbs, 2.5oz (40%); height was 29 inches (67%); head circumference was 18.5 inches (87%). That's right... our baby continues to have a big head! I'd like to think it's full of brains, of course! ;)

He got one shot and did great... he only had a few, brief seconds of wimper.

In the past couple of days, he's started clapping at EVERYthing, shaking his head "no" (I'd really like to know how he learned that - sigh...), and cruising holding on to things. He's also started making a very interesting sound by smacking his tongue on the top of his mouth repeatedly.

He got his first taste of spinach today and wasn't the biggest fan. When I disguised it with his curried carrots, he didn't seem to mind, until he figured out that I was mixing the two and started to shake his head "no" anytime I would put his spoon near the bowl that had spinach! I'm sure he'll learn to love it soon enough. Last night I also made a Mediterranean Chicken Vegetable dish from an organic baby cookbook that my MIL gave me for my birthday. Sebastian was a bit uncertain of the first couple of bites, but didn't seem to mind after awhile. This was indeed an adventure and a burst of a few new flavors for him (I know - breaking the rules, adding multiple new things at one time), because it had onions, red peppers, rosemary and potatoes, none of which had been tried before. It also had zucchini, carrots and chicken, which are old standards for Sebbie. Tim and I love bold flavors, so we're hoping to season our son in a similar way!

Oh yeah - that little white line in his bottom gum has become a little more evident, but he's stil trying very hard to hide it well. He's definitely not interested in showing it off much.

Alas, the journey continues... each new day is something fresh and exciting. We're having a blast at this parenting thing. So much to do and so much to learn!

Dancing with my baby

2010-03-10T22:04:00.001-05:00

Just remembering happy times when I was dancing with Sebastian in a playground that overlooks the ocean in California. Sebastian loves loves loves the outdoors… and I’m certain he just can’t wait to get his little toes kissed by blades of grass on his bare feet. It seems like he’ll soon be doing his own dance, or at least running all over the place. :)

A good dose of happy!

2010-03-07T23:17:00.003-05:00

If you're needing something to brighten your day, take a look at this cutie pie having a grand old time in his bouncer!

Butternut Squash Stir-Fry

2010-03-07T22:53:00.002-05:00

I have promised many people that I'd post this recipe, so here goes... for all those waiting for scrumptious yumminess!

Butternut Squash Stir-Fry (from 1000 Classic Recipes from Around the World)
Serves 4 (I double the recipe for big groups and/or leftovers)

Ingredients
2 lbs 4oz butternut squash peeled (this is about one average-sized butternut squash)
3 Tbsp peanut oil (I substituted coconut oil to be compliant with the Maker's Diet)
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds (I used ground coriander)
1 tsp cumin seeds (again, I used ground)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2/3 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. salted cashews (can't have cashews til Phase 3 of the Maker's Diet, so I used pecans instead, which was very nice... and since they're raw, I added a dash of salt to the recipe)

To Garnish
freshly grated lime rind
fresh cilantro
lime wedges

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the butternut squash into small, bite-sized cubes.
2. Heat the peanut oil (coconut oil) in a large preheated wok (I used my electric frying pan, because I doubled the recipe and needed the space... plus I think I sold my wok at a yard sale).
3. Add the butternut squash, onion, and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fresh cilantro and stir-fry for one minute.
5. Add the coconut milk and water to the wok and bring to a boil. Cover the wok and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
6. Add the cashews and stir to combine (I actually left the nuts out and had people sprinkle some on top of their individual portions).
7. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with freshly grated lime rind (I didn't use lime rind), fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve hot.

*I actually like this with more of a lime-y taste, so I added in about 1-2 Tbsp of lime juice about half-way through step 5. That's for a double recipe...

**The cook book says you can use sweet potatoes instead, if butternut squash is unavailable or not in season.

***Two weeks ago when I made this, I let it simmer on the longer side, plus I then had to reheat it on top of the stove for my dinner guests, and it got a bit mushy... so I'd recommend going on the shorter end of cooking time if you plan to reheat it. Tonight's version seemed just right in terms of tenderness, firmness... and consistency overall.

Yummy, yummy, yummy.

You know it’s time when…

2010-03-04T19:55:00.001-05:00

You know it’s time to lower the crib mattress when you find this:

Last weekend, while Tim was home alone with Seb, he found him standing up in his crib upon waking from his nap. Clearly it’s time to lower the mattress! He seemed pretty darn proud of himself. And Tim was sure to document the event very well, so I would be able to see what had occurred!

Now it’s no longer a novelty, but rather just part of the regular routine.

In other news… there’s a little white line in his bottom gum on the right hand side, and when I run my fingers over it, it feels sharp! Some babies get their first teeth at 4 months, and others at 9 1/2 or 10 months. Quite frankly, I’ve been simply content to have a toothless baby! :) Sebastian’s demeanor hasn’t changed much, except that he has not been the best napper this week, but we’ll see what the next few days or weeks may bring!

40 Days

2010-02-26T15:39:00.004-05:00

It's Lent. We're into the 10th day of it. This is a time of devotion and reflection, as well as sacrifice for many people... as we approach Good Friday and Easter, Jesus' death and resurrection on the cross. I've never, ever, ever given up something for Lent in my whole entire life. I've always felt that through prayer and meditation, time with God, and fellowship with other believers, I'd be able to quiet my heart and prepare for such a significant, wonderful thing as Easter. So while others around me were drooling over my coffee or my chocolate, I kept enjoying what I was consuming and felt good about my decision to do so.

This year is a new year, and a new story. We had some friends who had done the Maker's Diet last year for Lent and were planning to do it again this year. They invited us to participate in the experience with them. We read, thought, and prayed about it, and decided to join them in the journey along with two other couples.

If you've never heard of the Maker's Diet, it was designed by a man named Jordan Rubin, who was deathly ill with crohn's disease that many had said was the worst case they had ever seen. He was essentially given a death sentence. He began as a college student weighing 180 pounds at 6ft 1in tall, and his illness brought him to an emaciated, very sickly 104 pounds. He visited a gazillion doctors and tried a gazillion treatments but to no avail... he just kept getting worse. He was determined to get better and avoid his last ditch resort given to him by the medical community - surgery to remove the better part of his large and small intestine.

He began a new way of eating and thus living, but following a biblical diet and returning to the basics - whole foods in their original, unprocessed state. The short version is that he got better by eating this way, and therefore desired to share this with others, thereby creating the Maker's Diet and writing a book about it.

The diet is a 40 day experience broken up into three phases. Phase 1 is the most strict, eliminating all sugars except 1 tablespoon of honey per day, and all carbohydrates. Yes, all carbohydrates. I don't think I've been without carbs ever since I started eating solid foods as an infant.

Tim and I began a slower entry into the diet on Ash Wednesday, because we had just gotten home from vacation and needed to work on purging our kitchen of the foods we're to avoid. We began full force on Sunday. This was an intimidating experience for me, because I already struggle with trying to find a good balance between home life and work life - being a good mommy and wife (and thus feeding my family well) and being a good physician - something I love and am passionate about - serving a community where the need never ends. I felt that the only way we'd be successful would be to have a meal plan (a suggestion from a friend who had done the diet last year). So I went to town planning our meals for a week and taking shopping trips to Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Giant to ensure I'd have the right stuff in the house.

This week we've eaten well. I made several dishes ahead of time last weekend, and we followed the meal plan, allowing for a little flexibility. The food has been delicious. We've also started each morning with 15 minutes of yoga stretches. When the alarm goes off each day, one of us always asks the other if we should skip, just for one day... but then we manage to make our way downstairs for our "Morning Cup of Yoga." Sebastian has been sleeping through the night every night this week except for last night, which has allowed us to do our Yoga before he wakes up.

Before starting this diet, I had tried to research a bit about the Maker's Diet for nursing women, but to no avail... I originally found very little out there. In the past several days, I've found a little more info, but I was looking even more for answers. You see, I started to be concerned when I noticed that my milk supply while pumping at work seemed to have plummeted. I was only pumping about 1/3 of what I was used to pumping... which caused me to be a basket case. This is something I take very seriously, and VERY personally. I wondered if it was the diet, or the fact that Sebastian had been sick last weekend and nursing less, or the fact that he was sleeping through the night more consistently, or the stress I've been under at work, or the diet, or the diet, or something else... I decided to give it some time and see how the rest of the week went, but each day seemed as bad, if not worse. Watching the bottles fill up less than usual only produced more stress for me, and I'm sure made matters worse. I had jokingly said from the beginning that if my milk supply was affected, then I was out. I never anticipated such a drastic response, and I do believe that the change in supply is probably multifactorial, but as my mom said, the diet was the only thing I really had control over. Unless I wanted to start waking my sleeping baby up in the middle of the night to nurse... uh, no...

So, I called the lactaction consultants at the hospital to discuss the diet with them. They felt that if I was getting enough calories from things other than carbs and sugars, then it was more likely the other things like Seb being sick, sleeping more, etc. I failed to mention to them that I had lost 5 pounds in 4 days... and today was another pound shed.

I finally called Garden of Life, the company that published the book and is behind the Maker's Diet, and I spoke to someone on the phone at length. She told me that they don't make official recommendations about nursing or pregnant women, and they encourage people to talk to their doctors (didn't tell her I was one of those), but if they were to recommend anything, it would be to start with phase 3 instead of phase 1. That means adding back in some grains - like sprouted bread (e.g. Ezekiels), brown rice and oatmeal - my saving grace - as well as a few additional fruits and some other things.

Tim and I had been praying about this, and I'd enlisted a few other friends and family members in prayer as well. The lactation consultant outlined a supply boosting routine that I could try for several days, which I've been doing since yesterday. But when I had a bowl of oatmeal this afternoon, it was the. best. oatmeal. I've ever had. It tasted great, but I also think it was very freeing to feel supported in my decision to skip over to phase 3. Thanks, honey. ;)

We'll see how it goes over the next several days. I'm continuing to follow the majority of the recommendations for the diet, but adding in some additional food items in an effort to not shed a pound a day.

It was frustrating for me to not find very much info out there about the Maker's Diet, especially related to people's personal experiences AND nursing, so that was partly my impetus for writing this post. I did find, however, some info at this website, which I found helpful to read. I thought others might find it useful to read my thoughts, and I also thought I'd post my menu plan for this past week. I'll have some recipe posts coming soon.

Day 1
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with chopped veggies & goat's milk cheddar cheese
Lunch: curried carrot soup & salad
Dinner: pakistani lentil curry & steamed broccoli

Day 2
Breakfast: goat's milk yogurt with mixed berries
Lunch: curried carrot soup, slices of goat's milk cheddar cheese, celery sticks, raw almonds, grapefruit
Dinner: chicken curry, butternut squash stir-fry, salad

Day 3
Breakfast: fried egg(s) with salsa
Lunch: chicken curry, butternut squash stir-fry (leftovers), grapefruit
Dinner: baked salmon, asparagus, salad

Day 4
Breakfast: kefir and berries smoothie
Lunch: snap peas, curried carrot soup, almonds, grapefruit
Dinner: pakistani lentil curry & swiss chard sauteed with ginger, garlic, & tomatoes

Day 5
Breakfast: Tim fasted, but I ate goat's milk yogurt with mixed berries
Lunch: Tim fasted, but I ate leftover chicken curry and butternut squash stir-fry
Dinner: bunless turkey burgers with goat's milk cheddar cheese, pan-seared asparagus, and sauteed zucchini, red peppers, onions and garlic with Herbs de Provence seasoning

Day 6
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and veggies with salsa
Lunch: salad, hard-boiled eggs, and leftover lentils for Tim and curried carrot soup for me
Dinner: curried chicken with carrots and spinach, and steamed broccoli

Our snacks have included hard-boiled eggs, carrot sticks, raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, celery sticks with raw almond butter, snap peas and grapefruit.

We'll keep you posted on our progress...!

9 Months

2010-02-25T21:25:00.002-05:00

Our boy is growing like a weed! Yesterday he turned 9 months old! He’s been getting into anything and everything. He’s crawling all over the place, pushing himself up on all fours, and also pulling himself up onto all things, including our glass coffee table in the living room. He must think it is a good teething apparatus, because he climbs up to it and starts gumming away!

We still haven’t seen any teeth, but his grandma M gave him some teething biscuits for Valentine’s Day, which we let him try, and he LOVED! See for yourself: Sebastian seems to be on a stretch of sleeping through the night, about which we’re not really complaining. It’s such a joy to find him wake up in the morning with a smile on his face and talking.

He’s started becoming more interested in books and turning the pages rather than eating them…although, we think he might be learning Hebrew, because he seems to turn the pages in the opposite direction.

Unfortunately, he’s had another cold over the past week, which has kept us on our toes with tissues in hand. The nose has been a leaky faucet, but it seems like, bit by bit, he’s getting better. His little cough lingers on, but he doesn’t seem to mind so much anymore.

Our little guy continues to be super happy, social and friendly. We’re so thankful to have a kiddo with such a wonderful personality. It’s impossible to not fall more and more in love with him (and each other) every day. God has blessed us beyond measure!

Beach fun

2010-02-17T22:58:00.002-05:00

The last day of our vacation - before catching the red eye home - we hung out at the beach. Tim & I packed up Sebastian, his two second cousins and some lunches, and we headed to the beach. It was a far cry from bathing suit weather, but we had a blast playing with the kids. And they had a fabulous time, too! Just look at the pictures below – they tell a thousand words… or at least a thousand laughs, giggles and shrieks of joy!

Sebastian LOVED the sand. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he immediately shoveled handfuls of it into his mouth.

The boys became great friends with Sebastian and really seemed to enjoy playing with him. They were so gentle and tender with him – it was endearing. This picture makes me very happy. :)

Here are a few of my favorite pics from our time at the beach (there were lots of great ones; it was hard to choose!).

Air born!

Contemplating the water…

The cold, cold water didn’t go over so well with Sebbie.

We’re making our way to a pose for the camera.

These guys are the sweetest… they call each other “brother” when addressing one another. It’s super cute to hear them talk.

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Everyone was wet, wet, wet! We had the boys strip down to their skibbies before we drove home :).

And these photos just sort of sum up the good times had by all! They make me smile. A lot!

We were so thrilled to be able to hang out with my cousins during the time we were out in California. It was great to get to know the boys better and to just be with the whole gang. Oops! I’m realizing that I didn’t get any photos of the adult cousins! Gulp. Well, I guess we have to make another trip to take some group shots. That’s just fine by me… ;)

Some more photos to come later…

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T22:45:00.003-05:00

One of my favorites from our recent trip to California...

lots of lovin' from Sebastian!

Hope you're feeling the LOVE today and everyday!

P.S. My hubby rocks. I woke up this morning to yummy pancakes that he and Sebastian made for me... in the shape of a heart! How sweet are my boys?!?

Yesterday and Today

2010-02-13T15:53:00.001-05:00

This was yesterday:

This is today:

What a difference 24 hours makes! Not to mention a bus, two planes, a car, nearly 3000 miles of land and three time zones…

A rude awakening! We were on the beach frolicking yesterday – you can almost feel the sun warming Tim’s face in the picture above – and today we’re home and surrounded by snow. Lots and lots of snow. Tim & my dad have been at it trying to shovel us out for hours. All in all, I think they got about 36 inches in the past week here. And now they’re calling for another 6-12 on Monday. Seriously?!? Take me back to California, where today it’s 72 degrees!

The joys of Califa

2010-02-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

We’ve been having a great time in Califa… just chillin' with the cousins, working on a few house projects here and there, and enjoying the things of California. All good things come to an end, so soon we’ll be on our way back to the land of blizzards, where we’ll have to figure out how to get about 5 feet of snow out of our driveway to be able to park once more in the garage!

In the meantime, here are a few highlights of our stay so far…

My cousins have several citrus trees in their back yard, so we’ve had fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning while we’re here.

We spent some quality time outside working in the front yard – cleaning out weeds, laying landscaping material, and mulching. We had three very good helpers, too!

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Sebastian had his first trolley ride, which he loved. You can hop on the trolley and ride through downtown Santa Barbara for just a quarter. It’s a great, inexpensive treat for little kids!

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Our little guy loves being here and is fascinated by his boy cousins. They keep him very entertained and VERY happy. He doesn’t want to miss a beat when they’re around, and he can’t keep his eyes off of them! It’s been fun to watch them all interact, even though they’re at different stages in their young, short lives.

Don’t those smiles just make you so cheerful inside?!?

17 minutes...to California

2010-02-07T17:38:00.009-05:00

We're learning some lessons about traveling with an infant... we're still not experts after our first airplane trip, but all in all, our trip has been so, so wonderful! Sebastian has been a champ! He essentially slept for our entire first flight from Harrisburg to Atlanta, which was a total blessing. Our flight took off late from Harrisburg, which meant that we only had SEVENTEEN minutes to catch our connecting flight from Atlanta to LA. If you've ever been to Atlanta, or travelled some, you might know that it's the. busiest. airport. in the world. Yes, in the world. And we only had 17 minutes. With an infant, two backpacks, a diaper bag and a stroller. While Seb was still sleeping, I put him in the sling, knowing that we were going to have to bolt through the airport... although I was pretty resigned to spending the night in Atlanta already. Tim told me to run, and that he would catch up to me. So I had a small backpack and a baby in a sling and I went running. Meanwhile, Tim had everything else and trucked on behind me. When I got to the tram, I decided that I'd rather wait for Tim to catch up than to be at the gate two or three terminals away without a husband OR a diaper bag. So I waited. And he caught up. And then we ran again, together. I was in total and utter disbelief when I got to the gate, and there was a gentleman smiling and greeting me. He asked how I was, and I was essentially too out of breath to answer. Then he took our tickets and let us on the plane!

The worst part about it all was that I was dying to go to the bathroom, for what seemed like hours. On the first flight I had Sebastian on my lap asleep (directly on top of bladder). In the airport, I had no business even thinking of going to the bathroom. And on our next flight, we got on too late to consider it before take-off, then we flew right into turbulence, so it seemed like FOREVER til they turned off the fasten seat belt sign. But finally the opportunity came... and I was so thankful!

We had a happy baby on the flight - he was laughing, smiling, and flirting with the woman behind us. He loved to look out the windows at the clouds. We learned to be thankful for puffs. They kept him occupied and quiet. He wasn't bothered by the pressure change. He did great! Didn't cry once. I missed out on the diaper changing experience of the year, because Tim pulled the short straw. Not really... he just loves changing diapers, so changing one on the plane didn't seem out of the ordinary. Til he got back into the tiny bathroom. And had a poopy diaper. Plus a squirmy baby (who loves to get his hands into anything and everything, including that which can be found in the diaper). There was nowhere to lay him down, so he changed him on top of the toilet. Plus he had a baby in need of a change of clothes after spitting up all over the place. He told me later he was hoping I would have gotten the telepathic message he was sending to have me get up out of my seat and go help him out, but I missed it. It went straight to voice mail!

Once we arrived in LA, we weren't surprised at all to find that our luggage wasn't around. We had to go through the process of registering our bags. Tim took care of that, while I fed Sebastian in his stroller. Our bags were expected to arrive in Santa Barbara the next morning. We eventually headed out to get our rental car. Once we got that taken care of, we were on our way into the LA traffic - essentially a stand-still parking lot that took us about an hour to go 15 miles.

We made some stops along the way - a jaunt into Target for toothbrushes, underwear and other essentials that we didn't have packed in our carry-on, because we were too busy worrying about packing for Sebastian - and some dinner. We were thankful and excited to finally pull into the driveway at my cousin's house about 4 or 5 hours after landing. Hooray! Not bad for our first airplane trip. Not bad at all. Sure, there were some bumps and bruises... nevermind the fact that our baby was picking things up off the airplane bathroom floor and putting them in his mouth... but we made it! No luggage, but all in one piece and so, so, so happy to be in Santa Barbara with folks we love to hang out with.

And it's not everyday you get to see a sign like this:

Gosh, I love California. My cousins have about 4 avocado trees in their yard, along with grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes. Note: this sign was not found in their yard, but rather at a house down the street. Made me laugh, though. Especially because, except for mangos, avocados are probably the only other fruit I would consider ripping off someone else's tree. He he. I have a bit of an avocado addiction...:) And no, I've never ripped an avocado off of someone's tree. Just thought about it, that's all.

I intended to get some pictures of Seb on his first plane ride, but that didn't happen...so maybe on the flight home. I did get a couple of pics from our trip to the playground. Seb had his first ride down the slide with Tim, and I got a cutie shot of his little second cousin. So fun!

I heart my boss... and my job

2010-02-02T23:09:00.004-05:00

So, the video below is a year and a half old, but I just saw it again yesterday, while I was at the groundbreaking ceremony for our new facility at 333 North Arch St., slated to open in July. This expansion is more than exciting. It's phenomenal! We'll be adding 24 exam rooms to our current 18... and more than doubling our patient visits per year. The expansion will mean new job responsibilities for me, as I'll be taking on more of a leadership role. I'm looking forward to the new phase of my professional career, but also know that it's easy to become overwhelmed by the need that faces us at SouthEast each and every day.

Lots of days at the health center are emotionally draining and tiring. My patients not only have complicated health problems, but their social, mental, economic, relational and emotional problems are incredibly overwhelming. Tuesdays are the worst. They always seems to be the longest days with the craziest things happening. I always walk away from the clinic amazed at how my patients survive in the worlds they live in AND how blessed I am to have a stable, wholesome home to live in with a wonderful, faithful and loving husband, a healthy son and family and friends that surround us, support us and care for us.

I know God has me in Lancaster for a reason, and I feel that I'm answering His call by going to work everyday at SouthEast. Sometimes the things I see and experience are awful, downright painful. And sometimes work is just plain hard. I always thought that I would go to medical school, finish residency, pay off my loans, and leave the country to work full time in missions. I've come to realize that, for now, I'm in the heart of my mission, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. I don't know if the calling will be the same in 5 or 10 years from now. But for NOW, it is what it is. And that feels good; I'm at peace.

I'm honored to work with AMAZING people. They're giving, selfless, caring and serving individuals. And they're humble. They're great partners and they go the extra mile. My job (and my life) wouldn't be the same without them. When I'm overwhelmed with the messed up systems at the clinic, inefficiencies that occasionally occur, paperwork that never ends, and the sadness of my patients' lives, it's my partners - my dear friends - who are encouraging and keep me going. We're in the trenches together. I have an awesome boss, too, whom I heart in a big, big, big way. I know we all heart him. He's one of the main reasons I landed at SouthEast in the first place. I'm pretty darn sure I don't know anyone in my professional circles as dedicated, optimistic, brilliant, kind, patient, humble, energetic (and so much more) as this guy. He rocks. This United Way video from last year features him...and some of our nursing staff and our patients. Check out the video. It will make you smile and warm your heart.

What will this year bring?

2010-01-31T22:57:00.003-05:00

Just added another year to my belt... and I said the following to my husband:
When I was 30, I got engaged.
When I was 31, I got married.
When I was 32, I got pregnant.
When I was 33, I had a baby.
What will this year bring?
Hmmm... something fabulous, wonderful, exciting, I'm sure! I'm so thankful and blessed beyond belief. And spoiled by my super husband. I had a fantastic birthday weekend. All because of him. Thanks, Timmy. I love you and can't wait to see what this next year of my life will mean...for us. Thanks for sharing the journey with me. Mua!

8 months!

2010-01-24T23:36:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe, but true! Little Seb is 8 months old today! Incredible! I’m still trying to figure out where the time has gone.

For his eight month birthday, we got him passport photos… in preparation for his first international trip! We’ll be heading to the motherland - Nicaragua - in the Spring. This is also where we went on our babymoon, and where the inspiration for Sebastian’s name came from, so it will be a special trip.

Today was also the day that Sebastian used his stroller for the first time as a full-blown stroller, instead of just the car seat attached to the stroller base. Surprise, surprise! We still love our Quinny, and Sebastian loves it too. He enjoyed sitting up like a big boy (doesn’t he just look so big?!) and smiling at all the folks around. He’s already such a flirt!

We’re working on baby-proofing the house these days – or at least thinking about. I got one gate from a friend, and I’m going to go shopping for some more for our babysitters. We’ll need to check out our house from Sebastian’s level VERY soon… I can tell already that there are lots of wonderful goodies staring him in the eyes when he’s on the floor! He’s not crawling forward yet, but getting up on all fours, rocking back and forth and scooting backwards. And man, can he go when he’s pushing himself backwards across our hardwood floors! It’s fun to watch, but also hard to watch him grow up and change so fast!

The biggest stressor of the day was spending almost 2 hours in a panic, not able to find Sebastian’s birth certificate or social security card… both of which I needed not only for his passport application, but also to get him on the plane to visit my wonderful cousins in California – a trip coming up very, very soon. But we sorted through piles and piles, took some deep breaths, paused to pray about it, and then rejoiced when they showed up right where they should have – in the folder I had intentionally placed them in (for safe keeping – ha!) many months ago. Now they’re headed straight for the safe as soon as I’m done with them. Phew!

So there you have it. Eight months old and counting. Counting oh, so fast!

germs

2010-01-23T20:42:00.004-05:00

Germs. We have them. And it seems like we have a lot of them. We've been passing around some kind of crazy illness since the second week of December, essentially. And quite frankly, we're tired. Tired of being sick. Forgive me in advance for the dissertation on our germ fest over the past month or so.

It all started with a runny nose on our baby that popped up a couple of days after hanging out with three other children with colds. Not surprising. But it's come and gone and come and gone. Turned into a cough, then throw in some teething action - without producing any teeth - make the runny nose go away, the cough get a little better, then a fever for three days, then the cough get worse, and worse yet, then the runny nose and snot all over the place come back with a vengeance, and on, and on, and on. That's Sebastian's story. And that's where we are with him now. Humidifier. Nasal saline (he LOVES this). Tissues. Burp clothes. Vaseline. Tylenol. Motrin. And more of all of the above. Oh yeah, there were some homeopathic teething drops in there somewhere, too. It seems like it will never end. Last night seemed like the worst. Poor little Seb kept waking up because he couldn't breath. He seemed so helpless, sad and pathetic. It broke my heart. And there I was trying to mother him as best I could, all the while polishing off an entire box of tissues. Geez. It was tough to have a bad night. We were both very tired, and I was feeling total blah. We had had three nights of awesome-ness just before the regression last night. Check this out: our little boy slept from 8pm til 6am three - count it, three - nights in a row! Ahhh... such bliss! And such a blessing. We were thankful for the break, because the three nights prior to that, he had been up every few hours. It almost felt like the first few weeks of his life all over again! And then there was the breakthrough. Ahhh...so good while it lasted.

Timmy - fortunately - seems to be on the mend. We hope. He had been coughing since December 23rd, and it finally started to sound deeper in his chest and more wet. He was coughing all night long. For weeks. He would wake me up, and occasionally wake Seb up, despite multiple attempts at curtailing the cough with a variety of medicinals and home remedies. I asked one of my partners and friends to call in a prescription for a Z-pak on Tuesday. After a month, I guess he finally felt worn down enough to consider it. Nothing else had worked. Tim started taking the antibiotics the next day. He doesn't recall ever taking antibiotics before. Ever. Yowsers! Forty years and no antibiotics? At least that he remembers... He did have his appendix out at one point, so I'm pretty sure he got some in the OR. And maybe when he got his wisdom teeth out? Who knows! Point is, he's almost done with them, and he's been seeming so. much. better. Not 100%. But better. He's not up all night long coughing, which is huge. Huge.

And then there's me. I feel like I take one step forward and two steps back. I've had the hacking and congestion that everyone else has had. It was a dry cough with a sore throat. Then one day it was total body aches, fatigue, a headache, chills, then a fever, which broke in the middle of the night, and I woke up drenched. Then the light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, but surely, I was starting to feel better. Until four days ago. When it all started again. This time with a leaky faucet, i.e. my nose, that wouldn't stop running, congestion, and a bit of a cough (still lingering). The trash can is overflowing with tissues, and I've put vaseline on my raw little nose. And my options for what I can take are a bit limited because I'm nursing. I'm probably more strict about it than I really need to be. But everything that goes into my body has the potential to be passed on to Sebastian, and I take that really seriously. So I've been sticking with the box of tissues and some Ricola lozenges.

We took Seb to the doctor's yesterday. His first "sick visit." I needed another set of eyes. Objective eyes. And we love Dr. Donna, so it was nice to have a visit anyways. We were given the option of getting a chest X-ray, treating him with antibiotics, or waiting it out a little while longer. We decided to continue watching him to see if he improves or worsens. Of course, last night he came up with a whole new list of symptoms. Perfect timing - wait til after the doctor's appointment to spice up the story a little bit more. But, he hasn't had more fever since two weekends ago. His lungs sound clear, he's eating well, and gaining wait. Yesterday he was a whopping 19lbs, 1oz! He continues to laugh and smile and be the same happy baby he always is. What an excellent reminder he is for us! In the midst of feeling lousy, he's capable of finding and expressing JOY. It would be an amazing world if everyone had the ability to laugh and smile like my precious little baby, even in the midst of illness. Simply amazing.

So, I'm pretty sure this is all probably viral - one virus after another with many faces, shapes and sizes, being passed from one of us to another and back again. But it's getting old. So please, Mr. Germs. Please, please, please go away. We've tolerated you long enough. And we're ready to bid you farewell. Goodbye. Oh, and you can leave the rest of my family alone, too. Every last member of my family - with the exception of my M-I-L and F-I-L - has been sick in some way or another over the past month. So go away. Thanks. PS. We need you to go away before we go away. Seb + sick on his first plane ride = disaster.

Oh, and just so you don't think you're gonna get a post without a picture, here's Seb loving his new car seat. I'll have tell you the new car seat story some day. Good times. :)

Laughs and kisses for mommy

2010-01-19T21:41:00.005-05:00

Baby Seb shares laughs and kisses with mommy... at least when not distracted by daddy. We're learning just how easily distracted an almost 8 month old can be during pretty much all things. And, we're having fun with our new Flip video camera - capturing memories!

The final gift

2010-01-15T16:25:00.002-05:00

We stretched Sebastian’s Christmas gifts over several weeks, so as to not overwhelm him… and he finally opened one of the most exciting gifts – the final gift.

My cousin’s wife, Crystal, had agreed to make a quilt to match Seb’s nursery, and then she made several pillows to match as well. My plan is that these will be used in a corner in his room where he’ll play and read. Perhaps someday when he’s older, they’ll actually adorn a big-boy bed that he may have!

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what she came up with! It’s great! And everything matches perfectly! I had chosen a variety of fabrics for her to use, and she went to town.

She used the remnants of the curtains from his room to do some of the accent circles and eventually that same fabric will be the backing on his quilt. We’re having Tim’s best friend’s mother do the actual quilting for us – this will be something very special and sentimental for Tim.

Thank you, Crystal! We love the goods, and know that Sebastian will treasure them for years and years to come. It’s so wonderful to have them made by family, too! That makes it all just that much more special and fantastic!

Stay tuned for a future post when the quilt is 100% done, and the nursery is all put together…. Now go on over to Crystal’s shop and find yourself some goodies! You’ll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Merry Christmas! Love Sebastian

2010-01-09T11:56:00.002-05:00

A long, long time ago, before he was born, I wrote a letter to Sebastian. In that letter, I talked about how Tim & I had decided to keep a running tab of all the purchases we made for Sebastian each year, and at the end of the year, make a donation in his honor to an organization that provides care for children around the world. I have to admit that I don’t do a great job of keeping a budget or documenting finances, but this is something that we took seriously, so I tried to keep up with it as best I could. After some research and deliberation, Tim & I decided to contribute a percentage of the purchases we had made for Seb to World Vision. We believe in their ministry and know that the money we shared with them will be put to very good use. We also tried to be intentional about which categories we selected to direct the funds we were contributing. Sebastian played an active role in the selection process, too! We showed him pictures of different children, projects, ministries, etc., and if he laughed or smiled, it seemed like it was a good fit!

Here’s the list of things that Sebastian gave as his Christmas gift to the children of the world in 2009:

Clothing for Children
Orphans and Widows Fund
Clean Water Fund
$350 Worth of Necessities in the USA (through matching gift donations from corporations in the USA)
Education for 1 Child
Bicycle for a Girl
Provide $490 Worth of Clothing (through matching gift donations from corporations in the USA)
2 Soccer Balls
Art and Music Instruction
Bed Nets for a Family
Help for Children with Disabilities
New Mother and Baby Kit
Immunizations
Provide $490 Worth of Medicines (provided by co-sponsoring pharmaceutical companies)

These are all things that we have been or will be able to readily provide for Sebastian, so we wanted to share them with others less fortunate. Our hope is that, over time, Sebastian will develop a deep understanding of the worlds’ needs and grow a passion and love for the children of the world. Our prayer is that we will continue to be able to model this for him. Tim and I have both experienced poverty and the tremendous need that exists around the globe, and we feel compelled to give of our time and resources in order to help to bring equality and basic needs of life to others. We’re already praying about and planning our first family missions trip for later this year.

Sebastian also had the chance to prepare school kits for Mennonite Central Committee with his Grandma. This is something that she does every year with each of her grandchildren at Christmastime. And even though Sebastian is the youngest of them all, he really enjoyed stuffing those bags! (Never mind the slobber-drenched onesie he’s wearing – that’s just part of normal life around here.)

Many thanks, by the way, to Sebastian’s aunt, Tia Lydia, who made the Christmas card with Sebastian at the top of this post. It was such a special surprise to find that in his bag when he got home from her house his last visit before Christmas! It sounded like he really got a kick out of his first painting experience! Sebastian is so fortunate to spend quality time with his aunt and each of his grandmothers. We are incredibly BLESSED and THANKFUL for their presence in his life and the CARE they provide for him.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! LOVE SEBASTIAN

One-oh-one-point-three.

2010-01-08T21:34:00.003-05:00

101.3. Sigh. That was Seb's temp before I put him down to bed tonight...and that was an hour after Tylenol. It was a rectal temp, so pretty darn accurate. He started with a fever last night, and was 101.3 in his arm pit, but that was before any medicine. It's so. so. hard. Soooo hard to see your baby sick. He's just not himself. He's had a cough and runny nose for what seems like forever, but now the cough seems worse. And he's had a couple episodes of vomitting. He's more clingy than usual, and his cheeks are so rosy they look like left-over holiday pointsettas. Our dear, dear Sebastian, however, continues to smile and laugh in between his whimpers, moans and groans. We are blessed by his joyful spirit that shines through at all times!
Being the worry-wart that I can tend to be (especially when it comes to my boys) I've listened to his lungs a couple of times today, and they seem fine. The battery for my otoscope is dead, so I can't check his ears. And that message that I'm expecting to light up on his forehead indicating he's teething has yet to work as I wish it would. I'd like to believe this is all from teething, but I think that'd be a bit foolish of me, Doctor Mom.
I sent Tim to the pharmacy to buy a few more supplies tonight - tylenol, ibuprofen, nasal saline and homeopathic teething pellets. So far we haven't had to use any of it, but we're prepared for anything that lies ahead.
So, pray. Pray for our little baby boy. Please. We trust God to restore him to health and give thanks in advance for how that will occur. We also could use your prayers for the healing of our own bodies, that have been beaten down by cough, congestion, sore throat, etc. Pray, too, for healing of the bodies of almost all of Sebastian's cousins and his aunts and uncles and half of his grandparents, who have also experienced the whole gamut of symptoms. Seems like whatever nasty bugs that are floating around out there are really doing a number on all of us!
Thanks for walking on the journey with us, in health and illness. We appreciate you all!

Light shines in darkness

2010-01-05T21:22:00.004-05:00

Back in 1996, I attended Urbana '96, the missions conference for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which occurs every three years during the last week of the year. It remains one of the most memorable and powerful experiences of my college years and my faith walk. I recall being deeply moved during that time - it was a phenomenal experience! There were thousands and thousands of students gathered together in a large university stadium, worshipping together, listening to powerful and engaging speakers, attending workshops, praying and pursuing God on a more intimate level.

My parents had attended Urbana as college students as well... about 30 years before me. Although the make-up and style of the conference continues to change over time, the message and the moving experience remains the same - even after all these years. My dad still tells the story of how he got a speeding ticket while I was at Urbana, because he was listening to one of the speakers live on the radio, became overwhelmed with excitement and joy, stopped paying attention to the speedometer, got engrossed in the talk he was listening to, and bam! got pulled over. What goes on at Urbana really is exciting! Really. Really. Exciting! (and sometimes a little expensive!)

Anyways, we have good friends who are on staff with InterVarsity, and they just got back from Urbana '09. Our friend e-mailed us an update after the conference and shared some links of some of his favorite talks, presentations, and drama from this year's conference. I'm including the video below, which I encourage you to watch, if you have about 15 minutes to spare. I hope you'll be moved by this form of experiential worship. It is rich. And it's good.

This is what my friend said about this video: "This is the theatre and dance intro to the conference- literally the first thing we saw onstage. So well done, so beautiful. I wept at the artistry of it as I realized it's been a while since I've experienced really good art. The guy tap dancing is incredible."

I have to say I agree with him. The presentation "combines beat-boxing, spoken word, hand drums, tap and interpretive dance to bring the message of the Gospel of John to life in a musically and visually inspired performance."  Take a peek!

Theatre and Dance: Word and Pictures from Urbana 09 on Vimeo.

For Aunt Bev...

2010-01-01T11:27:00.002-05:00

A video especially for Aunt Bev... Sebastian checking out his new sippy cup!

Baby’s 1st Christmas and the holiday in review…

2009-12-30T21:47:00.007-05:00

It’s been a wonderful holiday season for us! Last year at this time, we only dreamt of what it might be like to have a child at Christmastime. A year ago I was just starting to feel Sebastian’s movements inside my belly… the awe and wonder of a baby growing on the inside have now translated into the awe and wonder of a baby growing on the outside. He brings us such JOY! Our happy, healthy, smiley baby is really the best Christmas gift we could have hoped for – we are so BLESSED and have so much for which to be THANKFUL!As to be expected at this age, he experiences pretty much everything via his mouth, and opening his gifts was no exception. Many thanks to all our family for the generous gifts. Sebastian is a happy lil’ camper and is totally enjoying all of his new toys. We still have presents under the tree for him, because we have found that any more than one or two gifts a day is a bit overwhelming… and we’d like to extend his Christmas for a little while longer. We actually haven’t done any gifts for the past two days, and Sebastian certainly doesn’t seem to mind. :)He had a great time dressing up like a miniature Santa… followed by an elf. Grandma and Grandpa were excited to be able to share some of the Christmas cheer with our little Santa/Elf/Baby… never mind the runny nose! And Seb had lots of fun exchanging presents with his cousin (and helping open others’ presents, too!). This year the cousins all exchanged names, and Sebastian and Gabe both had each other’s names. One of the gifts that I was more excited about giving this year was an album that I had made for Tim’s mom from the pictures of our trip to the Outer Banks. Each of his siblings contributed photos, plus I managed to sneak some off of my M-I-L’s camera, and it turned out to be a wonderful collection of photographed memories. It was a fun surprise!

View Full Album

Sebastian even got to spend time with his second cousin, Blake, who’s just two months older than him, but about 5 pounds and 2 inches bigger (note the two happy twin grandpas holding their newest grandbabies). And… he got to hang out and play with his cousins, Isaac and Lauryn, who love to make him laugh. Sebastian just giggles and giggles anytime they’re around. They were kind enough to share their rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” on video. If you pay close enough attention, you can hear Sebastian trying to sing along in the background.

I received a Flip video camera for Christmas (very, very cool and exciting!), which gives me the ability to film videos in a super easy fashion… so stay tuned for more videos to come! Aunt Bev’s been asking for the videos…And one last shot – Grandma Judy with her kiddos. I think I see some resemblance in the genes of these cousins!Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone!

More fun in the snow!

2009-12-30T20:39:00.000-05:00

As promised - here are more photos of Sebastian's first big snow storm... The snow is mostly melted by now, and it's bitter cold outside. It doesn't seem to bother Seb one bit... He still loves the outdoors, of course. I'm wondering when we'll get him his first pair of snowshoes or hiking boots! Love, love, love this cutie pie!

Winter wonderland...

2009-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

All 17 inches of it. White as white could be. We were snowed in on December 19th. My Christmas party for work was cancelled. We stayed cozy in bed for an extended period of time, had a delicious waffle brunch, lounged around a bit, got some things done around the house and enjoyed a slower pace of life... for just a moment. I did end up making 3 different batches of soup throughout the day, and our friends Marvin & Dori schlepped over to our house in the crazy weather to have dinner and hang out in the evening. It was WONDERFUL! I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of snow, but when it causes the above snowball effect (no pun intended), I'm all for it. It was great... til I drove to work on Monday morning and got stuck in the snow at the end of our back alley. But that's another story...

Sebastian has always loved the outdoors, and adding snow to the mix didn't seem to change his opinion about being outside. We plopped him in the middle of some snow, and he was oh. so. HAPPY! See for yourself!

I'm currently experiencing some technical difficulties, but will add more photos later... I hope!

What’s for dinner?!

2009-12-23T19:41:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned before, Sebastian seems to be enjoying the world of solid foods…for the most part. All of a sudden he’s started screaming while we’re trying to feed him over the past two days or so, and we haven’t quite figured out why. He continues to eat what we give him, and wants more and more and more, but he screams when the spoon isn’t in his mouth. It’s almost like we can’t get the food in there fast enough! Hopefully this is just a phase… I’m thankful for his good eating habits, because I was just speaking with two other doctor mom friends who have babies about a month and two months older than Seb, and their babies barely eat anything outside of la leche… and even that is a challenge for them at times. So, thanks little man, for being adventurous and compliant with the new culinary experiences.

I guess I’m not surprised that transitioning to solids would be a bitter sweet experience for me. I guess some moms are probably dying for this to happen sooner, and others, like me, wouldn’t mind if it didn’t happen so quickly. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad that Sebastian likes solids and that he’s doing so well. It’s so much fun to watch him eat and taste new things. But, at the same time, it’s a total realization that he’s growing up and is not 100% dependent on me as his source of nutrition. I love nursing, and I love that I’ve been able to provide for him in this way…

In an effort to make sure he gets just good stuff in his little body, I decided to make all of his baby food for now. And I love it. I feel good about it. I know exactly what he’s eating. And Sebastian loves it. It’s a win-win situation.

Here’s a little bit of my baby-making food journey… I was given baby food freezer containers as a shower gift from my S-I-L, and then I got some more from my cousin. Hooray! They are great. And it makes producing large batches of good food a cinch.

First, I choose the food product – right now Seb is eating peas, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and acorn squash. I made a huge batch of carrots, too, but we haven’t introduced those yet.

Then I steam the veggies. For the butternut squash, I peeled it, cut it up in chunks and steamed it. And for the acorn squash, I cut it in half and baked it in the oven.

After they’re soft and near mushy, I transfer the vegetables to the food processor (NOTE: best Christmas gift EVER given to me by Timmy). Add some of the water from the steaming process, puree away…

keep adding water as needed til you get the perfect consistency….

And voila! Yummy baby food ready for the freezer trays!

Freeze for 8-10 hours, pop ‘em out, and bag them. Then, when Sebastian is ready to eat, or when we’re packing his lunch bag, we just grab the cubes and go. So easy, so yummy, and so wonderful!

Oh, the joys of cooking! Especially cooking for my little munchkin. Love, love, love it!

I’d really like to be able to make his grains as well (he’s eating rice cereal and just got his first couple of tastes of oatmeal this week), but so far I haven’t ventured into that realm. I’d love to have a mill or grain grinder… so we’ll just have to see if that shows up under the tree. If not, no worries. My birthday is just around the corner. :) And for now, Sebastian is quite content eating his Earth’s Best grains.

Happy baby = happy mommy = happy daddy = happy family!

Weighing in (at 6 1/2 months)…and then some.

2009-12-20T22:52:00.003-05:00

I feel like I’m waaaay behind on posting these days… It’s been several weeks since Sebastian’s half birthday, and since then we’ve had his well child check – where he weighed in at 17 lbs, 7.2 ounces… and measured 27.5 inches long. He was 6 1/2 months at the time of the appointment. He faired all the shots incredibly well, and he just cried for a moment. I didn’t give him Tylenol this time around, because just two days prior I had learned about a recent study that has demonstrated that Tylenol given before shots reduces the efficacy of the vaccinations. Ugh. But he barely fussed and had a good rest of the day. Maybe it’s because he got to see Dr. Donna (whom I know he loves)… or maybe it’s because he’s just a happy, happy baby. Either way, I was thankful for a good doctor’s visit. It is such a blessing to have a healthy, jolly baby!

He seems to be growing and changing right in front of our eyes, and – just like they say – it goes by so quickly. I’m almost afraid to blink my eyes, for fear that I’ll miss something! On December 6th, he started sitting up all by himself, without the previously anticipated, slow motion sideways fall that seemed to occur every time we sat him down, without fail. He was just about 6 1/2 months old then. He also is now scooting across the floor like a caterpillar, and he’s started to push himself up on all fours. After the holidays, we definitely are going to have to work on baby-proofing some things around the house. My sister-in-law, who is one of Seb’s regular care providers, has requested a safety gate for the top of their basement stairs – a very wise idea! So, I’m on the lookout for some gates… I’ve been checking Craig’s List regularly, but have failed to find any yet.

Above is our happy baby in his new high chair. It’s the Svan high chair, which is a sleek Scandinavian design, that converts as our little boy grows – to a toddler high chair, then a kiddo chair and a big kid chair… even an adult chair for those weighing less than 150 pounds. We love how it looks, and as you can see, Sebastian is a happy camper in it. It also seems to have a smaller foot print than many high chairs, which was high on our priority list for high chair selection. We think we mad a good choice - at least thus far, two weeks into the deal.

Eating is a wonderful and wild adventure for Sebastian. It’s so much fun to watch him experience all news tastes and textures through his lips and his tongue. I have found great joy in making all of his food (except his cereals/grains – which I hope to get into at some point), which I think helps to ease the emotional transition from him receiving 100% of his nutrition from me to getting some outside calories from other sources.

Sebastian also had his first taste of a much loved staple in both the Johnsen and Martin diets. I nearly flipped my lid when I caught his Grandpa IN THE ACT – giving him a taste of ice cream! There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll love ice cream just as much as the rest of us do (and he seemed quite content to have the little bit on a spoon that was shared with him), but I think Grandpa now has it pretty clear in his mind that he was prematurely advancing Sebastian’s diet. Tim (and Tim’s mom) is thankful that it was my dad – and not his – who first introduced the “forbidden fruit!” Everyone knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, especially with Sebastian having the great blessing of two ice cream addict grandfathers so close by that he gets to see all the time. There were bets out on who would do it first. I guess I lost the bet. :)

Much to my chagrin, Sebastian had a major aversion to avocado. I tried to give him a little bit mashed up last night, which provoked a horribly ugly face, followed by gagging, and ended promptly with the vomitting all over the place. This was a bonafide vomit - the first official one... not just a little spit up. I guess I'll have to wait awhile to try to re-introduce my favorite fruit. Oh, so sad.

Anyways, we’re trying to gear up for Christmas around here. The tree is up, some presents are wrapped, and we’re looking forward to a few days of reflection, celebration, relaxation, and family time. Our Christmas greetings will come soon – in the form of a post! So be on the lookout. Many blessings to you and yours as you count the days…!

I can't wait!

2009-12-17T20:06:00.000-05:00

...to see this movie! I don't get super excited about movies very often, but I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie. I have always loved babies, but now I have a new addiction! They say it's coming soon in 2010! Anyone want to go on a movie date with me?

couldn’t you just eat him alive!?

2009-12-12T17:05:00.001-05:00

Seriously, people… He has got to be the cutest thing alive!

I’m on call today… sitting in the hospital missing my boys. We’ve had one super quick delivery so far (hooray for fast ones!) and now we just seem to be running a special on pre-term labor rule-outs. Ugh.

But, it sounds like Tim will be bringing Seb to see me before bedtime, which is oh. so. nice. And til then, I get to look at photos and bask in his cuteness! Gosh, I love that kid!

I just had to chuckle...!

2009-12-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

a little holiday diversion

2009-12-03T16:49:00.000-05:00

Since we got back from vacation, life has felt a little rough. Sebastian hasn't been himself and has been very clingy, not sleeping well, occasionally refusing to eat - we're wondering if this is just an adjustment from being back from vacation or something else - illness lurking, teething, etc. His poor sleeping patterns have been trying on us physically and emotionally - we've both been exhausted, and I seemed to manage to mess up my neck royally by sleeping in a very akward position several nights in a row so as to protect my little babe - who would only sleep if sleeping with us.
I also began a new schedule at work which includes multiple double bookings in order to increase productivity by accounting for our no-show rate. I was the last provider to move to this schedule, because they were waiting for Sebastian to start solids. For that, I'm so very thankful... but it was a difficult transition to go back to work after a week of vacation. The mommy guilt was at a high level - I almost felt like I was going back to work after maternity leave all over again - and I had this new schedule to deal with...
In the midst of it all, I have not felt like I was in the Christmas mood or spirit at all... it's barely crossed my mind, and I recognize that it's fast approaching. We don't have any decorations, I have no gifts (let alone ideas!), and I haven't been in church for almost a month because of being on call and then vacation... so the concept of Advent floats around in my head, but doesn't yet seem a reality. Sigh... Not exactly how I'd like to feel or be around Advent... especially for Sebastian's first go-around with Christmas.
In an effort to relax a bit this afternoon (I had a very early meeting that I was NOT looking forward to this morning, followed by a long day of rounding at the hospital), I decided to play around a bit with the Jib Jab Elf videos to get some comic relief and work towards some holiday cheer.
So, here you have it - live and for the first time - the Johnsen Martin Elves performing a holiday disco dance. There were five options, but I chose to post this one, because it seemed to be Sebastian's favorite. He squealed in delight and flapped his little arms and legs when he saw this video.
So enjoy! Here's to the holiday season... may it find its way into our home and hearts very soon!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And yes, we ALL can dance like that in real life. Ha!

Just another family pic…and some vacation thoughts…

2009-11-27T13:22:00.001-05:00

Mostly I just wanted to try posting through Windows Live Writer instead of directly on blogger… but I thought it would be a good opportunity to share another photo! (Don’t worry, there will probably be more to come.)

And to mention a thing or two about our vacation… It is so, so, so nice to live without alarm clocks and just relax and BE. Sebastian’s routine is a little off, but all in all, he’s doing quite well considering the circumstances. He’s sleeping in a different environment, eating new foods, surrounded by lots of people (12 others in our house and 11 in the house down the street), and taking it all in pretty gracefully. We’ve had two nights of struggling sleeping patterns (fortunately not consecutively), but we’re thankful for a relatively chill and easily adaptable baby.

Just to emphasize the flexible nature of our baby, here’s a snapshot of bath-time last night… The kitchen sink was occupied, so we used our bathroom sink. Sebastian seemed to enjoy it just the same! :)

Our time is quickly coming to an end. Sigh… My “list of things to do” while on vacation still has lots of items on it! I realize that vacation is a time to relax, but at the same time, the fullness of our everyday lives prevents us from crossing off some of the things on our list in a timely fashion. So, off we go to be a little productive while relaxing!

Beach photo shoot

2009-11-26T23:08:00.000-05:00

While at the Outer Banks, we planned a photo shoot with all of Tim's family, which was great fun - not to mention an adventure - to get all 18 of us looking at the camera and smiling with every hair in place at the right time! Ha! Thank goodness for digital cameras with super fast shutter speeds! We took advantage of the opportunity to get some shots of our own little threesome. There were multiple photographers helping out, which made for a ton of fantastic shots, but lots of work sorting through all the photos! Many thanks to all who snapped some pictures. There were soooo many to choose from, and I'm sure I'll be at it for months... But, to pique your interest , here's a glimpse of some of our favorites!

making memories...

2009-11-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

First experience with sand dunes...

First time beach lounging with Grandpa Martin...

First kiss of ocean breeze on the back of his neck...

First touch of sand on his little toesies...

First caress of salt water on his soft skin...

First trip to an aquarium and first sight of real, live turtles...

First picture of the family in front of fish sculptures...!

Sebastian was fascinated by the crashing waves, the howling wind and the sea life behind glass walls at the aquarium. It's so much fun to watch him experience all of the wonders of this incredible world for the first time! Oh, to have the awe and curiosity of a child seeing, feeling, touching and hearing God's creation!

One half

2009-11-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

Our baby is six months old today! We continue to be in awe of God's goodness and grace as we watch our baby grow and develop. We are so blessed to be his parents, and he is such a JOY to parent. Of course we believe he's the cutest baby around...and some may say that's our parental obligation, but we know it's also just plain true!

Check him out sporting his 1/2 onesie! This was a fabulous hand-me-down from my cousin-in-law, Crystal, who sews up a storm, making all sorts of fantastic things for babies, children, and the home. She's very creative, and has a true gift of craftiness... she works as a stay-at-home-mom. Check out her Etsy shop here for other neat creations! She's made a quilt and pillows for Sebastian's nursery, which we're thrilled about! We'll be sure to share photos of the finished product when it's in our possession.

Sebastian is rolling all over the place, scooting around and trying to crawl. We now realize that he can't be left alone... as we have found him several feet away from where we originally left him on several occasions. He loves to smile and laugh, and he loves to be around other people. We have a very social son! He makes friends very easily, and we continue to believe that he will be used by God in special ways because of his personality.

His taste buds are blossoming...as he's now had a taste of rice cereal, sweet potatoes and pears. He seemed to really gobble down the sweet potatoes we tried that were from a jar, and then I decided to make my own sweet potatoes as a special treat for his half birthday. Ha! They say a picture tells a thousand words - you'll get the idea of his reaction to my rendition of sweet potatoes today by these photos! I'm sure they'll grow on him over time...

I can't believe how time has flown... it seems like just yesterday we were coming home from the hospital with a tiny little bundle. What an amazing journey we're on! Happy half year, baby boy!

Smelling the ocean

2009-11-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

Sebastian and mommy are visiting the Outer Banks for the first time (Tim was here when his brother Jeff married Lori 5 years ago), and that means Sebastian gets to experience the sand, wind and waves for the first time! We were up early to catch the final glimpses of the sunrise, and Seb seemed engaged and enamored. He's always loved nature, and now he's sold on the ocean! Unfortunately the storm (Ida) that occurred last week has left behind a lot of debris and gritty sand AND the water is way too cold to even remotely consider going in for a dip. But it's beautiful and peaceful, and we're glad to have a break from the regular routine of life and spend time with family. :)

Aren't my two boys just the most handsome ever?!?!

For the first time

2009-11-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

Sebastian got a taste of something other than good ol' mother's milk. His smart daddy thought to grab my BlackBerry to capture this moment on video. He's still not entirely convinced, but we're getting there, poco a poco. Mostly, he just wants to chew on his spoon or grab it like a big boy. We're already convinced that he's going to want to feed himself sooner rather than later.

I was anxious to try some rice cereal with him, because he seemed to be very interested in watching Tim & me while we're eating these days. He doesn't want to miss a beat, and he's been grabbing for everything in sight. But, at the same time I felt a little bit guilty, because he's two weeks shy of the six month mark...which is the new-ish recommended time to wait for any type of solids.
My doctor mommy guilt was kicking in..., til the next day when I saw an 8 week old for a well child check, whose mother told me she started rice cereal a couple of weeks ago (insert YIKES here) and her son just LOVES it...and she did it because her mom told her to... you know, he'd sleep better! And that was right before she told me that she always puts him on his belly to sleep, because he LOVES to sleep on his belly and sleeps so well that way! Ugh... sigh... wiped away any feeling of guilt I was having pretty darn quick. And guess what - my word over her mom's? Not a stinkin' chance. Sigh... (again).
And yes, I did tell her that she was giving me chest pain.

a double take...!

2009-11-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

That's what everyone keeps telling me they're doing when they see me - they have to do a double take, cuz they don't recognize me. Why?!? Well, four days ago, I went to get a haircut (something I hadn't done since June!!!), and came home with about a foot less of hair and what felt like 10 pounds less weight on my body! I did it! I chopped my hair! I still have a hard time believing it. I haven't had hair this short in probably about 18 years! But I like it. And it feels good.

I took some photos with my phone to document the big ordeal.

Here it is... all braided and ready to be shipped off to Locks of Love.

A view from the back.

And a view from the front. My hair is still kinda damp in this picture.

Another shot, the day after, when I washed my hair myself (still working on the appropriate amount of shampoo and conditioner) and actually let it dry before taking the picture.

And the side view...!

People ask me why I did it. I don't have a great reason, except that I felt like it, I was tired of losing so much hair, a little bit of mommyhood kicked in, it was a bit of an impulse decision, and I felt good about donating my hair for a good cause.

I have to admit, I was a little worried about the reaction from my two boys. Tim was the ever-perfect husband, who greeted me when I walked in the door by pausing the meeting he was leading, standing up, kissing and hugging me and telling me how great it looked. And Sebastian slobbered all over me, just like usual - his way of showing his love, and never seemed to be phased. My fears that he wouldn't recognize his mama were completely unwarranted. Silly me.

Once people figure out who the mystery woman is, they are generally very complementary - cute, smart, sharp, sexy, academic, fun, love it, etc! I threw them for an even bigger loop by wearing my glasses all week, because I think I have a corneal abrasion that I'm trying to let heal. Short hair and glasses!

Anyways, If you're thinking about a change in your "look," go ahead and do it. Chop it off for Locks of Love! It might take a little getting used to, but it's worth it, and you'll be glad you did. Just like me.

Baking for Jesus

2009-11-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

I had to chuckle at myself a little bit, because as I was making these scrumptious scones below, I told Sebastian that we were baking for Jesus... which in reality, we were. He was helping out, playing in his bouncer, and giggling at his silly mama, when I did the zester dance (a little jig while using my zester to gather rind from clementines).
Anyways, the reason we were baking for Jesus is because these yummies will be for sale at an indoor missions yard sale tomorrow... to support Ralph & Deb Muenstermann - this is the couple whose MST (Missionary Support Team) we serve on - and they are preparing to leave in January for Youth With A Mission's Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii, followed by ministry in Germany.
So, take a peak, and try the recipe yourself, cuz they are delicious! And, if you're in town, get on over to ACTS Covenant Fellowship tomorrow morning to buy yourself some. I'm sure they'll go fast! He he!

Here's the recipe, in case you're tempted!

From Cookies, Irresistable Biscuits, Brownies and Bars by Hilaire Walden

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/3 c sugar

pinch of salt

5 Tbsp butter, chopped

grated rind of 1 large orange (I used 3 clementines, cuz I didn't have an orange)
1/3 c raisins (I used craisins, cuz I thought it just sounded better...and I'm pretty sure it is)
1/2 c buttermilk
milk for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a large baking sheet.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Add the orange rind (or other citrus) and raisins (or craisins). Gradually stir in the buttermilk to form a soft dough.

4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thick. Stamp out circles with a floured cookie cutter.

5. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Serve hot or warm, with butter or whipped cream, and jam. (I ate mine all by itself and it was scrumptious!)

Cook's tip: For light, delicate scones, handle the dough as little as possible. My friend, Peter, came by in the middle of the process and confirmed this tip. He said he made scones last week, and the butter should be cold. He said, "there's something to that!" when I told him the tip said to handle as little as possible.

YUMMY!

Here are the details of the indoor yard sale, if you feel compelled!

Missions Indoor Yard Sale and Pancake Breakfast

ACTS Covenant Fellowship in the fellowship hall

Saturday, November 14, 8 am- 12 noon.

Ralph and Deb are having a moving sale and have invited friends to also sell their things with all proceeds going to missions. Come join us for shopping or for a pancake breakfast (8:00-10:30 AM). Some items available include: toys, baby gear and clothing, plants, kitchen and decorative household items, some furniture, men and women clothing, unique handcrafted jewelry, and baked goods. If questions, call 717-664-4036.

Directions from Lancaster City: 1927 Wheatland Ave. (take Columbia Ave, turn right on Eisenhower Blvd. at DQ, go 3 blocks).

Vote for the cutest lil' pumpkin!

2009-11-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

So, I don't consider myself the type of mom that would enter my kid in all sorts of contests, but this photo makes me super happy, and I can't resist giving Sebastian a chance to be the cutest kid around! Besides, this is not a contest that involves being the next Gap baby or on the front cover of a magazine... it's just plain being cute...and I might win something like a nasal aspirator (woo hoo!!!) or a car seat from Safety 1st. See - good, wholesome stuff for a cute, cute baby.

From now until November 19, you can vote daily for my entry in the Safety 1st "Too Cute to Spook!" Halloween Photo Contest. If one of my photos earns the most votes in its category, I win a grand-prize package!

Click here to view my submissions and vote for my photo. Unless the layout changes, Sebastian should be the first picture in the second row. Vote, vote, vote! If you bookmark the page, you can easily find it to vote everyday til the 19th.

Please spread the word by forwarding this information to family and friends so they can vote, too! Thanks so much.

A recipe worth posting

2009-10-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Last night for dinner we had Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash. It was apparently a big hit, because Tim's comment was "this is a recipe worth posting on the blog." I have to admit, it was quite delicious... and it was super easy. I served it with collard greens that I sauteed with ginger, garlic, red onion, red and green bell peppers, olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and some crushed red pepper. I love Fall and all the scrumptious foods that go along with it! Try this yourself - you won't be disappointed!

Here's the recipe (from this website)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

Leaves

2009-10-29T13:40:00.000-04:00

Walking home from church on Sunday, we stopped in Buchanan Park to introduce Sebastian to leaves. He had his first taste of leaves - both figuratively and literally - and seemed to think it was just grand!

Newsflash!

2009-10-26T22:33:00.001-04:00

Check out the latest news! I've won a very special award! :)
Click on the link below:
CNNBC video

Lil' pumpkin is 5 months old!

2009-10-25T16:04:00.002-04:00

Despite my best efforts to stop the clock, or at least make it tick a little slower, Sebastian turned 5 months old yesterday! Hard to believe! And even harder to comprehend all that has happened in his short life so far and how much he has changed our lives and brought us JOY in the midst of shorter nights, lots of spit-up, rare fussiness and scares of croup.
Not only is he growing in size, but he's also developing more and more motor skills, vocal skills and social skills every day. He likes to try to sit up on his own these days even though he just can't quite support himself for more than a second. He also rolled over from back to belly last weekend while my friend Tricia was here visiting. She brought him this toy, and he gleefully chased after it right into a roll. And then he did it again. He's also singing and talking lots and loves to laugh his head off when Tim blows bubbles on his belly. And he really enjoys meeting new people. He doesn't seem to have fear or inhibitions about strangers, which makes him a lot of friends and I think will be part of his personality as he grows older... just trusting that God will protect him as we teach him good judgment. We just got him an exersaucer from Craig's List, which he is thrilled about. He gets to sit up AND play with toys... both of which make him very happy. It seems ginormous, but at least doesn't seem to have the footprint that I've seen some have.

Being outside or looking in a mirror or glass seem to be his favorite things to do, especially when he's fussy. We'll see how it goes with the weather getting colder, because anytime we can't calm him down these days, we walk outside with him and he immediately chills out. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's an amazing thing to watch. Just cross over the threshold and instantaneously you have a whole new baby on your hands!

I had wanted to take Sebastian to a pumpkin patch for some Fall pictures for quite some time now, but we hadn't gotten the chance. We were hoping to do it this weekend (yesterday), but the forecast was rain, rain, rain. So, I took advantage of my Thursday afternoon off and tried to take him then, which meant that Tim missed out on the deal, but I had my mom along for some help. We got to the pumpkin patch and were told that it was closed - only open on weekends - and we could come back on Saturday if it wasn't pouring. But, I didn't trust the weather report... so for lack of a better option, I took him to Stauffers of Kissel Hill, a local grocery store and garden center, and plopped him down in the middle of one of their displays and did my long awaited photo shoot. Take a peek at the cutest lil' pumpkin around:

Happy Fall and happy 5 months old!

the first hike

2009-10-17T21:33:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday we took advantage of the gorgeous fall weather and made our way south to Tucquan Glen, where we enjoyed a wonderful hike. We'd taken lots of walks with Sebastian since he was born, but this was his first real hike on a trail. He is so incredibly in awe of nature and so content when he's outside... it's actually our best solution to fussiness. If he's ever fussy and we can't easily calm him, we step outside, and he immediately calms down. Immediately.

Needless to say, Seb was enchanted with the forest. Happy, happy baby! And Grandma Martin was able to join us for the afternoon. It was so refreshing to be outside in nature, listening to the sounds of leaves crunch beneath our feet and water rushing down the stream and over the rocks. Ahhh...!

hodge podge

2009-10-14T21:18:00.004-04:00

It's cold. Brrr... And we took a walk tonight to go pick up something we scored on Craigslist. Fortunately we realized before we stepped outside that Sebastian needed some weatherizing. So we gathered what we could find to keep him warm... a hat made by Catherine, mittens from Deb, BumGenius babylegs from Cotton Babies, a fleece I got on clearance at Old Navy before Seb was even born, socks and a bib from Renee, and slipper shoes from Crystal. Everytime I looked at him, I just had to chuckle cuz he looked so hodge podgey and so stinkin' cute!

Many thanks to all who are helping to keep our baby warm!

Zucchini Brownies

2009-10-10T22:32:00.004-04:00

After a long day of working outside painting and putting up the downspouts, I thought Tim & Angel (our nephew) would enjoy a special treat. OK, to be honest, I was craving something sweet, but knew that ice cream was off limits, because I'm only on day 2 of the dairy-free diet (which, by the way, has resulted in very little improvement so far). Either way, it doesn't seem like the guys complained about the scrumptious zucchini brownies. The smell of chocolate pervades the walls of our house right now. So, so yummy! Look at those beautiful morsels!
The guys got their dessert Ala mode while I ate my brownies naked. Still delicious, no matter how you look at it! They were just the right amount of sweetness, super moist and oh - so - good!

If you're tempted, I got the recipe from Simply in Season - this is a fantastic cookbook that encourages local and seasonal cooking.

Here's the recipe:
1 c. flour (I used soft wheat)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (I used spelt)
1/3 c. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine in large bowl.

2-3 c. zucchini shredded (I used some I had frozen from our CSA from this summer)
Stir in.

1 egg
3/4 c. sugar (I cut this back to about 1/2 c.)
3/4 c. brown sugar (again, I cut it back to about 1/2 c.)
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used my own home-made yogurt)
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine in separate bowl and beat with fork. Stir into zucchini mixture. Spread evenly into greased 9x13 pan.

1/2-1 c. semisweet or mint chocolate chips (I'm sure dark chocolate chips would be fabulous, too, but I didn't have any on hand)
1/2 c nuts chopped optional (I used walnuts)
Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake in preheated oven at 350F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Just a few thoughts... plus the anti-spitting diet

2009-10-09T15:37:00.006-04:00

A random thought: I was taking a walk with Sebastian today through Franklin & Marshall College's campus, when we passed a student, who said - out loud, to himself, I presume - "why am I walking so fast?" Then he slowed down a bit. Hmmm... Makes you wonder, was he trying to smell the roses a bit? I know I sure walked fast back in the day when I was at F&M... there was always so much studying to do!

A hooray thought: Today, por fin, the number on the scale matches the number the day I had a positive pregnancy test. Hooray! The first 30 pounds shed so quickly, but those last three seemed to take forever! I'm sure my addiction to ice cream doesn't help. Sigh. Interesting, however, that despite the numbers being the same, my figure is not so much the same. That child-bearing thing really does transform you, in many, many ways!

And the anti-spitting diet: Speaking of ice cream, I'm a bit saddened to say that I'm going to try to go a week without it, or any other dairy product for that matter. Sebastian is a spitter. A huge spitter. At least he's a happy spitter and not colicky. But he's a fountain that overfloweth constantly. Pretty much the only time he's not spitting up is when he's sleeping. I've told many people that I think he'd probably weight 30 pounds if he didn't spit up. He spits and smiles or laughs. He usually doesn't seem to have signs of reflux, so I'm not convinced that he needs medicine. He's gaining weight well, and isn't fussy for the most part. But nonetheless, I'm on a mission to see if he'll stop spitting (or at least cut down significantly) if I avoid dairy products. I started today, and have already realized how incredibly challenging this might be. I could NEVER be vegan. For breakfast, I had toast with peanut butter and jam and a cup of tea with honey. Not bad. Lunch was a bowl of soup from Trader Joes... I thought it was safe cuz it was tomato and roasted red pepper soup... but I thought I'd read the ingredients - after I had already eaten the soup - only to find the first ingredient was MILK! Then for dinner we went to Spryo Gyro - YUM - and I ordered the Vegetarian Delight, which came with a salad that had feta cheese on top AND in the dressing, not to mention the cheese in the spanakopita! From there we went to Rachel's Creperie for dessert...Tim, our nephew Angel, and I ordered a couple of things to share. I thought a Nutella crepe was safe - til I got home and looked at the label - yep, contains skimmed milk and whey. We also ordered a fresh fruit crepe, and it was smothered with whipped cream. Both were wonderfully delicious, but definitely not dairy free. We shared a smoothie, too, made with frozen yogurt... and I got a decaf coffee, which I drank sans cream. Note: despite the Norwegian blood that runs through my veins, I much prefer to have cafe con leche. So there you have it - my first day of a dairy free diet. I didn't have yogurt, cheese, straight-up milk, cream or ice cream. And I survived. So far.

My mom has always told me that I spit all over the place til I was a year old, so perhaps this is my payback. Like mother, like son? We'll see if any change in the spitting pattern comes out of my efforts at a changed diet. If I recall correctly, my SIL had to cut out dairy products when my niece was a baby, but I can't remember exactly why. And my friend, Steph, had a spitting baby who's just about 3 months younger than Sebastian, but she gave up milk and Baby Kiki stopped spitting so much (but she was fussy with more reflux symptoms). I honestly can't even remember how long Sebastian has been spitting. I'm not sure if it's been going on since day one, or if it started later... but this is my one week trial. We're sure thankful for hardwood floors and leather furniture around here. And even if the milk-free diet doesn't change things, he HAS to grow out of this at some point... at least by the time he's going on his first date (she said hopefully)... which will be when he's about 30 or so, by the way (if he's anything like his father) :).

Wish me well, and pray that I survive the week without ice cream. While I was pregnant, I used the excuse that I needed extra calcium and protein... and now I claim that I'm a nursing mama, and I need the extra calcium and protein (not to mention sugar, fat, etc.). I think deep down, I'm fearful that it might actually work - this milk-free diet thing - and that would mean some sad days ahead for me, but if it made a difference in my little baby's spitting habits, I'd commit to it. Anything for my baby...and the hopes of less laundry!

Round two (or should I say 4) and toes

2009-10-01T19:15:00.006-04:00

Sebastian had his 4 month well child check today and his second round of shots. He weighed in at 14 lbs, 12 oz and 25.5 inches. He was a super champ about his shots (always does better than his mom), and he's been chill all afternoon and evening. We spent the afternoon with Erica at Rachel's (the restaurant, not the friend's house), chatting, sipping on latte and chai and eating yummy crepes. Sebastian felt so comfortable in the warmth of Erica's arms that he took his afternoon nap right there - snuggled in her arms.
Over the past two or three weeks, Seb has discovered his toes and chooses them preferentially over anything else that could possibly go in his mouth whenever they're unclothed. He especially loves the toes during bath time! Check out the cutie pie sucking on his toes - I figured out how to make my new BlackBerry take videos.

P.S. Notice the toes heading towards his mouth in the picture on the scale at the doctor's office. Toes, toes, toes - so much fun!

Dedicated

2009-09-27T23:23:00.008-04:00

Today we had Sebastian's dedication at our church. We were so blessed and thankful to have many family and wonderful friends with us to celebrate and walk alongside us in this journey! Thanks, everyone!

As part of the dedication service, Tim & I shared a letter that we had written to Sebastian. We had to cut it down some due to time constraints, but I'm posting the unabridged version here.

Dear Sebastian Roy,
Today we stand before our family, friends & church community to publicly make a commitment to raise you in a way that honors and pleases God. Our love for you is great – larger than we could have imagined - and yet, we realize that we are only human, and we need God’s helping hand to bring you up in this world. We also recognize that we are abundantly blessed to have the love, support & guidance of many who surround us today. These people are very special, and we want you to know, love & appreciate them as we do.

While you were still inside me, I wrote you your first letter that said:
“It's a truly amazing feeling to carry you in my womb. With each new day, I feel more and more of your kicks, punches and rolls... it is such an awesome sensation - sometimes it makes me giggle, at times I just say "whoa!," and occasionally it brings a tear or two to my eyes. I can't wait to meet you, but at the same time I love knowing (and feeling) that you're safely inside of me. I certainly don't want to rush this process, but I'm sure we'll be ready to warmly welcome you anytime after April 20th (when I turn 37 weeks).”

Apparently you were so comfortable inside of my belly, that you chose not to make an appearance until many, many weeks later… on May 24th, the day we proudly and thankfully welcomed you to the outside world. At times, it feels as though you’re not so safe anymore - on the outside - and I have to fight against fear, as we release you to grow up and experience many new things each day. I am comforted, however, by God’s promise to keep you safe – he knew you before he formed you, and before you were born, He set you apart. His word says to fear not, because He is with you, and with me.

Also in that first letter, your mommy wrote:
“We are excited to prepare for your arrival, and are thankful for how fortunate we are to be able to gather things to raise you comfortably. Both of us have seen poverty and have lived among and worked with other children who are significantly much less fortunate than you will be. Our desire is to share with others some of the blessings that we have received. Your daddy came up with the idea of contributing a certain percentage of any money we spend on purchases for you to an organization that specifically works with children's ministries. We'd like other children to have a better chance at food, shelter, education, health, and daily necessities. We know there will always be much more that one can do, but we hope that we'll be able to make a small impact by sharing this gift with other children. We also pray that you will have a similar heart, and that we do our best as your parents to model giving and missions.”

Many people have asked us how and why we chose your name. While we were still pregnant, we took a “babymoon” trip to Nicaragua. We met a man there named Sebastian, and instantly I fell in love with the name. In keeping with our desire to grow in you a heart for the nations, I specifically wanted a name that could be pronounced easily in many languages, but especially in God’s favorite language – Spanish. Sebastian was the perfect name, and we’re finding that it suits you so well. It took some time for the name to grow on your daddy…not to mention the fact that we both were pretty much convinced that you were going to be a girl, and we got used to calling you by your girl name inside my belly. You were a very pleasant surprise, though!

Over time, and after I learned the meaning of your name, I started to become quite fond of it. Sebastian means calling forth respect through age, character and attainments. In early Christian lore, Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier who was martyred when his Christian faith was discovered. We commit to show you the way of Christ and desire to see you commit your life fully to Him even if it means the ultimate sacrifice.

Before the thought of you even entered our minds, God knew that you were going to arrive after a very long wait and change our world and our lives forever. We're new at this parenting thing, so we ask for your patience and understanding. We'll continue to learn and grow together. What a gift from God you are and will continue to be!

We're so thankful for you and for the opportunity to be your parents. We know that your birth and your life is an opportunity from God and an inspiration to let Christ shine through us by being even more intentional in our pursuit of holiness and the presence of God in our home and in this world. This truly is an occasion to reflect on God’s goodness and to celebrate.

Again, our hearts swell with love and joy. Our prayer is that we be faithful to the call to rise up and serve as your earthly parents, nurturing you in love and truth, so that you may grow to know of your heavenly father in a personal and special way, and that you would develop a heart for peace, justice, human rights and service to all of God’s people.

We love you Sebastian Roy!

And here are some pictures of Sebastian with his grandparents. He's one lucky guy!

4 months!

2009-09-25T22:05:00.003-04:00

It's so hard to believe that Sebastian was 4 months old yesterday! Everyone tells you to cherish the moments when they're so itty bitty, because they go by so fast... and well, it's just plain true. Every Friday I make rounds in the newborn nursery at the hospital, and I get to examine these teeny, tiny munchkins with their wrinkly skin, always sleeping, snuggled up, so peaceful and precious... today there was one that was only 4 pounds, 6 ounces! And every week, I'm amazed that my little baby is another week older. Time really does seem to be slipping away! Nonetheless, Sebastian continues to be such a joy and cutie pie. And I'm the super-enamored mama, who has to always post pictures of my baby boy. But I know you all love to see them too, so here they are!

We're having Sebastian's dedication this Sunday at church. It will be a great time of commitment and celebration, and we're thrilled to have lots of family and friends that will join with us in the memorable event!

Burned

2009-09-22T21:21:00.003-04:00

My skin, that is... right in the middle of my abdomen, just to the right of my belly button. Silly me.... a patient told me she had a "wart" that she wanted me to burn, so before I examined her, I went to get the TCA (trichloroacetic acid). Seems like someone prior to me must have had a little spill or leak, or didn't put the cap on tightly, because when I pulled the plastic box down from the shelf that houses the TCA, liquid splashed onto my new (only have worn it twice) blouse... and subsequently thru the blouse and onto my skin. I flushed my belly with water and went about my day sulking a little bit because of the new shirt likely being ruined - I anticipate a big hole in it as the TCA eats it away when I wash it. But when I got home and put my PJs on, I found that what had been just a little red before is now a lot red and about 2 inches by 2 inches, in the shape of a heart of sorts. How ironic. A burn, on my belly, in the shape of a heart. And you know what the real kicker of it is? I didn't even burn a wart today. Sigh... The joys -and hazards- of doctoring.
Interestingly, when you google TCA burn, you get all sorts of information on chemical peels using TCA for cosmetic purposes. So maybe the TCA will wipe away a few unwanted blemishes left over from a pregnant belly after all. I'll keep you posted. It's a good experiment, since it only fell on one side. It seems almost a little too high up on the belly to make a really good experiment, though.
You'll also find a video of a cheerleading championship dance... I'm not sure I can come up with any explanation for how that fits with "TCA Burn" though. I guess I'm just missing something. Huh.