A Wonderful Day....

Time is going too fast! Our baby K is nearly 8 weeks old!

She is a wonderful baby - and don't shoot me (I may shoot myself as often when I proclaim something, it inevitably comes back to bite me!), but she is sleeping through the night! My husband and I agreed that baby girls (for us) are much easier than baby boys (however, toddler boys are much easier than toddler girls - for us)! Both K and our two year old daughter slept through the night by 8 weeks. Now, I'm not certain that it is because they are girls, or because I found out the SECRET to making a baby sleep. Would you like to know the secret? It is SWADDLING. I never swaddled my boys, yet I swaddled both the girls. I've found the best swaddling material is "long john" material as you see above. Why I got rid of the blankets I had for M, I will never know (probably one of my decluttering spells no doubt). Thankfully Jo-Ann Fabrics had much to choose from, and so I bought the pretty rainbow-y fabric you see above. My Mom (or was it my sister? I don't remember) said they look like they're in a straight jacket when they are swaddled up - yes, I do it THAT tight! I'm telling ya, the tighter the better!

Its hard to believe I'm another year older! Yes, yesterday was my birthday, and despite it starting out with a sick little guy, it truly was a wonderful day. Really my birthday celebration started Sunday, when my Mom and Dad came over for a visit. It was wonderful, even though we weren't able to go out to eat as planned because of my little guy starting to get sick.

Here is part of what my Mom and Dad gave me - isn't it lovely?

I have it on my dresser -which is my special area that I keep my little treasures :) Some of the special things I have are little china cups with spoons (Mom help me out if there is a real name to these things!). They were my Grandmother's who passed away a few years ago. Also, I have the top to my wedding cake, and the penguins my husband gave me when we were first dating - the first gift he ever bought for me. Also I have a basket (which you can see behind the pitcher) of many of the flowers my husband gave me over the years. I'll have to dry those roses you see above - yes, my beloved brought those home to me yesterday! I also have my wedding bouquet dried and in there as well. What an adventure that has been to move! Since we were married, we've moved three times - and each time, after all is packed, my basket of dried flowers sits on my lap or the front seat of the car. All of my little treasures sit on top of doilies that I also got from my Grandmother. I'll have to take pictures of my treasures to show you one of these days.

And, finally, after many years of wanting a guitar, my husband and kids gave this to me as my big birthday present! I've already learned how to play a G and C chord :) You can play "Old MacDonald" with those chords - my kids think I'm a professional and my oldest son asked if I would start playing with the worship team at church - oh to see life through the eyes of a child! They don't see the flaws and they have no expectations! They see me playing just fine even though the reality is I can't play at all! I wonder what would happen in my family; in my neighborhood; and in my church, if I started seeing all that way? No flaws, no expectations. Yes, I think that would be a wonderful thing.

Well, I must go and attend to my day. It is beautiful out, but cold. I love winter, yes I do, but I am real ready for spring - to have the windows open, the kids running outside all day, going for walks, talking to neighbors walking by. Yes, I'm starting to long for it.

Oh! I haven't forgotten that I wanted to give some tips as to how we have saved some money and paid things off last fall - things that really helped when my husband's salary was cut. I have so much swirling in this mind (on top of the things that MUST swirl in this aging mind-haha!) I will see about writing more next week - but for now, I'll leave you with this question:

Of the things you pay for in your life,

what things do you purchase because you deserve them?

Have a great week!

Jen