Happy Friday

I thought it would be fun to play along with Happy Friday. Thanks to Noob Mommy for hosting it! We are supposed to share things that made you happy this week, so I thought of a few things!

1. I won a giveaway!!! This made me VERY happy! I never win things and so I was thrilled to find out that I had won a t-shirt from a great store in town called Kira's Cottage Christian Store . I had entered the drawing through her blog and she wrote me to let me know this week that I had won! I stopped in today to pick one out and absolutely love the shirt I got! It was such a nice treat and so nice of her to do that! While in there, I also found the neatest little cross on a block that has one of my favorite verses on it, Hebrews 11:1, and a book for Connor's Easter basket as well. I was glad to meet Kira, she was super nice and has an adorable store! Thanks so much Kira!

2. I joined a gym! This makes me very happy...which if you know me, you might be surprised that it makes me happy. Working out makes me anxious...especially as of late because I have let myself get so out of shape. My parents took the step and joined and were thrilled with it, so I went to check it out. I worked out there a few times and really enjoyed it. I then took the step and joined. I am ready for this...I want to do this. I know I have a long way to go, but that's o.k. I'm thrilled to get started and to start feeling better.

3. The weather has been beautiful and this makes me happy! It especially makes me happy because Connor and I can get outside more and this makes for a very happy little boy. He loves being outside and has recently discovered sidewalk chalk! It is so much fun playing outside with him and going on walks, I love springtime!

Those are just a few things that have made me happy this week! Hope everyone has a great weekend!


Here is the shirt that I won from Kira's Cottage!
FRONT
BACK



This is what else I picked up at Kira's, isn't it great? I love this verse so much!

Happy 18th months little man!

I am just in awe because today is my little doodle's 18 month b-day. O.k. so I normally don't celebrate half birthdays, but I wanted to recognize it...18 months came SO fast! I mean, I thought the first year flew and the second is going just as fast. I am loving watching my boy grow up and seeing him learn new things every day, watching things through his eyes, it's all amazing...but at the same time, I miss my baby. I am so thankful and blessed to have this time with him right now...to be able to stay home with him. There are so many days when I just miss the workplace, the adult interaction of it all, and just keeping my brain busy. I really have always enjoyed working, but when it comes down to it, I can't ever get this time back and I consider myself very blessed to have this opportunity. I figured since it is Connor's 18 month bday I would list 18 things that about my little man/things I love about him. I am also posting some shots that I took for his 18 month photoshoot.

1. I love his laugh, I could listen to it all day long. There is nothing better.
2. When he wakes up in the morning, he is happy. He just sits and talks to himself...you can't be in a bad mood in the morning with a sweet, happy boy like that.
3. When he gives me "huggies" as we call them and kisses, I feel like the luckiest mommy ever.
4. His favorite thing is being outside and once we are out, it's so hard to get him back inside. Needless to say, I'm thrilled the weather is getting nice!
   
5. The boy, at 18 months, has more rhythm than my husband. (Jake even admits this)
   
6. He loves his papa...when my dad walks into a room all bets are off...no one else exists. This warms my heart.
7. He is also a grandma's boy...which thrills me to no end. I could not be more happy that he has a great relationship with them...grandparents are so important. He is blessed to have them in his life...as are Jake and I.
8. He's not really into T.V., but if Jack's Big Music Show comes on, he will stop whatever he is doing, jam out to the theme song and watch the whole show in awe.
9. He is 110% ALL BOY!
10. I call him my "handsome doodle, studly tootle" amongst a million other crazy names.
11. He is our little comedian and enjoys making people laugh
12. We are currently working on potty training...in the very, VERY early stages. He went once and since he has shown interest we will keep trying!
    
13. He has a huge problem with sharing. He even thought that the inflatables at Bouncertown were all his! lol!
    
14. He thinks that if he signs "please" it will get him pretty much whatever he wants...and gets mad when it doesn't.
15. His favorite food is broccolli.
16. When he runs, he laughs and giggles and gets so excited that he just falls over and over again. It's the funniest thing...I love watching him run and explore outside. He gets soooo excited.
17. I don't think he looks like Jake at all, but some of the faces he makes are Jake to a T!
18. He doesn't know it yet, but he has a way of making this mommy's heart swell with pride every single day. I look at my son daily and know that he was a gift from God. I thank God every single day for that wonderful and perfect gift. I feel blessed that I was given the opportunity to be his mommy. :)

Old Friends

My good friend Rachel who I haven't seen in FOREVER (college) was in Fisher's this past weekend and we got to meet up with her and her adorable son Kaiden. Her husband Paul, who I just love and is a great guy, stayed home this trip. I remember the first date she had with him and I still remember the voice mail she left me after. So cute. Now they are married with an adorable little (almost) 2 yr old. Rachel had not met Jake yet or Connor for that matter so it was nice. We met at Cheeseburgers In Paradise and it was soooo nice to catch up and see her! I just fell in love with Kaiden! He is such a smart, funny adorable little boy. Connor just kind of sized him up the whole meal, it was pretty funny! Rachel and I have decided we need to get together more often so hopefully we can do this...it was a lot of fun. She lives in Chicago (north side) so it, unfortunately, is quite the drive for her. We had a great rest of our day. Jake, Connor, and I went to a beautiful park/gardens for most of the afternoon and just enjoyed the day. I got some good pictures for Connor's 18 month photoshoot which I will share on Wed. It was a great weekend, so nice to catch up with an old friend!

A little tobyMac for your Friday

So this song has been out for awhile but as I was driving today I heard it again and every time I hear the prayer at the end, I tear up. It is such an amazing reminder to always align your priorities with what really matters. Sometimes our priorities can definitely get skewed...I know I am guilty of that. All the "things" in the world don't matter a thing if you lose your soul while gaining them.
Must we all remember that nothing is ours anyway...nothing. And always remember who comes first.
This song is just so great....I love tobyMac, always have! Connor loves this song too...he grins when it comes on and dances away! What a fabulous reminder I had today while driving in this beautiful sunshine "All eyes are on you Lord, all eyes are on you."

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Enjoy the video!!!



Here are the words to the prayer at the end...

Lord forgive us when we get consumed
By the things of this world
That fight for our love and our passion
As our eyes are open wide and on you
Grant us the privilege of your world view
And may your kingdom be
What wakes us up and lays us down


Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Good or Bad Mom???

I just thought this was too funny not to share. I feel like it really hit close to home being a first time mom because I have felt this way about each of these subjects! (As I am sure many moms have) I have many moments where I wonder if I am a bad mommy, or if I am doing all the right things, but I know that is perfectly normal...I mean, this is my first rodeo. If we have a second, I'm sure I'll be more seasoned, less worried, and totally confident in my mothering skills....right? Right?? ;P

With all the conflicting parenting advice out there, it’s difficult to know whether you’re a good mom or a bad mom. Take this handy quiz to find out once and for all.

Keep track of your answers on a post-it and total your score at the end. Won’t it be a relief to know whether or not you’re a bad mom?

1. How many hours per week does your child spend in daycare?

• A. None. I’m a stay-at-home mom.


• B. 40 or more. I work full-time.


• C. About 20. I work half-time.

2. Where does your baby sleep

• A. In a crib.


• B. In my bed.


• C. In a co-sleeper.

3. Do you allow your child to watch television?

• A. Yes.


• B. No.

4. Has your child been vaccinated?

• A. Yes.


• B. No.

5. How many scheduled activities (storytimes, lessons, classes or playgroups) does your child attend each week?

• A. None


• B. One or more.

ANSWERS:

1. Day Care.

• A: Stay at home mom. You are a bad mom. Your child will be poorly socialized, will lack verbal skills, and will become horribly ill during kindergarten because he or she has never been exposed to germs.


• B: Full-time working mom. You are a bad mom. Your child will have an attachment disorder. You are missing the best years of his or her life.


• C: Part-time working mom. You are the worst mom. Your child will suffer attachment issues, be poorly socialized, lack verbal skills and will be sick as a dog forever.

2. Sleeping arrangements.

• A: Baby sleeps in a crib. You are a bad mom. How could you put your child in a cage to sleep? What’s wrong with you?


• B: Baby sleeps in your bed. You are a bad mom. How could you risk rolling onto your child and killing her? What’s wrong with you?


• C: Baby sleeps in a co-sleeper. You are a bad mom. How could you waste so much money on that ridiculous co-sleeper? Is it because you read about it in Dr. Sears? You won’t be able to afford to send your child to college.

3. Television

• Yes. You are a bad mom. Your child will be violent, mouthy, and unpleasant. He or she will whine for every candy and toy they see the next time you go to the store.


• No. You are a bad mom. Your child will lack reading skills and will have nothing to talk with other children about. You are raising a freak.

4. Vaccinations:

• A: Yes. You are a bad mom. How could you do that to a helpless baby who cannot consent to being experimented on by the public health system?


• B: No. You are a bad mom. How could you do that to a helpless baby whose immune system can’t fight off all those germs?

5. Activities

• A: None. You are a bad mom. Your child will fall behind his or her peers and never catch up if you don’t head over to the children’s theatre production of “Apocalypse Now” this weekend.


• B: One or more. You are a bad mom. Your child is overscheduled and will suffer a breakdown due to the stress you’re putting on him or her. You’re probably doing Suzuki, aren’t you.

Brought to you by the folks at Parenting, Mothering, Time, Newsweek, The Today Show, Babycenter.com, Wonder Time, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Your Pregnancy Week by Week, your pediatrician, your obstetrition, your mother, your mother-in-law, and that awful woman in the elevator who knows better than you how you should be raising your kids.

*Taken from http://subarcticmama.wordpress.com/2007/05/12/are-you-a-good-mom-or-bad-mom-take-this-quiz-to-find-out/*

Happy St. Patrick's Day...Now and Then

For fun, here is a picture of the little man today on St.Patrick's day and I am including one that I took of him one year ago today! My boy is getting so big!!! Hope everyone enjoys their green day today! I am sure to be pinched if I go out (0ther than the park) because I have on a black t-shirt, jeans, and pink flip-flops! Thankfully none of the other moms at the park today felt the need to pinch! It's not my fault, I own like nothing green! The one thing I do have is a sweatshirt and it is waaaaaaay too nice out for that! Thank the Lord! The weather is beautiful and I am LOVING it!!!


Our little man, one year ago today

Wordless Wednesday

LIFE IS GOOD!