Rewind

Hey Friends,
This week I will be taking back my time from the high tech machines that have invaded and at times consumed my days. Although these advances in technology are convinient to keep in touch with many people fast and helpful in finding out how to get spit up out of silk, this is time I could have been having a personal Bible study, spending quality play time with Summer, chores around the house and quality conversations with my husband, etc. I spend alot of time online and this week I am unplugging.
If you want to get in touch with me you can call me on the phone or write me a letter.
Here is to rewinding and reclaiming more precious time!
Happy Easter
Jana

Here comes the Easter Bunny

This weekend the Junior League of Asheville is hosting the 2nd Annual Spring Market. Today I volunteered for the Bunny Brunch and Chad, Summer, Gramma and Grandad came to see the Easter Bunny. We had high hopes as Santa Claus turned out to be such a great hit. However, once we sat Summer in the bunny's lap all she wanted to do was turn around and look at the bunny. Luckily we did get a quick shot (this is mine not the photographer's). No smile but we will take simply looking in the direction of the camera at this point.



Ok, so if you haven't visited me yet I will give you one more good reason...We have a JCREW warehouse that has a clearance store attached 15 minutes from my house. AND they had a warehouse sale today that only happens 3 times a year. Seriously, they give you a trash bag and a price list when you walk in. Absolutely ZERO organization! Just bins and bins of womens, mens and children's clothes (wedding dresses, formal dresses and shoes) to sift through. The sad part was that we only had 1 hour before they closed but I still managed to find $250 worth of clothes for $50 (80% savings). I am SO thrilled I found out about this place. Susan was with me and we had a good time dividing and conquering Mt. Oh la la!

This week I let loose of my mommy reigns and I let Summer go spend a few days with Gramma and Grandad in Hayesville. It was hard to release control but once I did...PARTY! I felt like the old Jana-girl again (versus Jana-mama). I sat outside and painted my toenails and let me tell you that brought back some memories. In the months pre-pregnancy/post-employment I used to sit outside in the sun daily; soaking in the warmth and enjoying life. And of course, Summer came back home safe and sound and she even learned a new skill, hugging her stuffed animals. Thanks Gramma and Grandad for the love and childcare!
This is what "Jana-girl" looks like.

This is what "Jana-mama" looks like.
And here is Summer and Grandad

Upon further review...

Per my previous post regarding Summer being 10 months old blah blah blah and how we had a picnic in the backyard. Well, yes Lucy our lab stole her banana and I thought that she was ok with that. However, upon reviewing the photos from the day I saw the time sequence of when she had the banana..
**To keep this fair, Lucy wanted me to add that "Summer didn't even have her hand on the banana and as you can see from her facial expression didn't seem like she was interested in this picnic in the first place." (Jana's sidenote-I have officially gone crazy now that I am interpreting my dog's thought process)

and now the banana has been stolen by Lucy(in the background) and Summer looks like she is pretty peeved!

Don't cross a baby and her banana!
Summer and I before we left for church this morning. Summer graduated up to the 10-12 month nursery class. So far, everytime I have picked her up from the nursery she doesn't smile at me when I return. Instead, she has a blank stare and then she pops out that bottom lip and starts to cry. I promise the caregivers probably double check my sticker to make sure I am even related. She almost didn't even reach her arms out to me. How can a 20 pounder give me self confidence issues? Just kidding, even thought I find it weird I don't beat myself up for it.

Summer Marie_10 months

How is Summer 10 months already? I just gave birth to her yesterday.

At 10 months old Summer can...

• Say Mama and Dada
• Wave and say bye bye
• Babble constantly
• Crawl and pull up on everything
• Stand alone for about 5 seconds
• Yell to get stranger's attention then acts bashful when they smile at her
• Loves going out in public
• Fall asleep just about the second she is put in the stroller
• Play ball with Lucy (sort of)

We are constantly trying to keep her out of/away from...

• Toilet paper
• garage/stairs (she races in that direction the second she hears us feed the dogs)
• bathtub (she tries to climb in when I am taking a quick potty break)
• vacuum cord (seriously she looks at me, smiles and then tries to unplug the cord)
• All paper (she is a human shredder)

I think she is trying to be a pirate in this picture. Must have been those boys at Chick fil A that influenced her...they were very pirate-y.

Beautiful weather allowed us to have our first picnic in our back yard. Yeah Spring! Sidenote: Summer only has one piece of the banana because Lucy came and yanked the remainder out of her hand...at least she held on to a piece and gave it her best shot.

Ready, Set, Go!

Spring Break 2010 (I feel like there should be a Wahoo! after that)

Per previous posts, Mom is visiting on her spring break.

When my mom and I get together it is like Mount Creative erupts! Project after project we accomplish.

First - transforming Grandmama's mirror into Summer's mirror

This mirror started off gold but we forgot to take a "before" photo. We spray painted it white then accentuated the leaves in green and highlighted the swirls with pink and yellow as a crowning touch. We think it is too cute!

Also in this photo is the fabric flower I made last week. We just pinned it to the shade. Then we used the same fabric to line the glass doors. Now I have a finished look and her clothes are hidden.

Next Project - painting a growth chart

I already had this piece of wood from when I made my upholstered headboard a year or so ago (yes I actually moved a piece of plywood across country).
Step 1:
This was a joint effort. I painted the flower, mom painted the stem and butterfly, and we both decorated the petals.Project revealed to Summer-doesn't she look impressed (ha). She's thinking...in my old room I had 4 flowers. Ok, so in the middle of all of these projects we also played with and took care of Summer. Except in this one situation where I was changing her diaper and I put her pants back on. She was fussing but then laughing and I even said out loud, "Are you fussing or laughing?" Once her pants where up I picked her up and looked in the mirror and busted out laughing. I almost fell to the ground I thought this was so funny. I am willing to sacrifice showing you my ugly photo just so you can share in the humor.

I guess I would fuss a little too if my mom wedged both of my limbs into one pant leg. She's a mermaid baby! Oh this cracks me up-maybe you had to be there.

That wasn't the end to our projects. We also rearranged a few areas of the house.

A sitting area in the kitchen.

Kitchen table in the Sunroom (perfect for our painting projects)
My butterfly is now hung. It looks like a barrette in that little window's hair.

And we positioned the twin bed upstairs to function more like a lounge couch.

And the best part, these projects didn't cost me a dime (minus 1 yard of fabric) as I had everything already.

HOWEVER-I haven't been exercising this week and I have eaten a few things I shouldn't. I love that mama of mine but she is of the mindset that we should "seize the moment" and eat dessert. Since she is leaving today, although I will miss her, I will get back on track.

Bye Bye Mimi and Grando. Thanks for visiting!

PS - Mimi got a little eye infection and had to wear her glasses this week. I think they look cute but she wanted this disclaimer included.

Sandie is now on the healthy bandwagon, Welcome Sandie!

Bud and Jen- how are yall doing?

What's in your mouth?

No this isn't an intervention post about that treat you snuck earlier today when you thought no one was watching (like me). I put my finger in Summer's mouth this morning and what did I feel but an upper tooth! The corner of her left upper tooth has broke through the skin and it seems, as crazy as it may sound, that all four of her upper teeth are about to see the light of day.

As promised here are some pictures of our time with Mimi and Grando today.

Bathtime funWelcome to the world Stella Jane McLaughlin. Nicole had her baby girl this past Thursday and they are home now as a family of 4. So far the report is that she is favoring her mama's looks. I can't wait to hold that sweet sugar muffin.

Sweet Love

Today was the first time I can remember my baby girl falling asleep in my arms since she was a small infant. Summer is typically to excited to get down and play and just can't seem to allow herself to relax in your arms enough to fall asleep...until today when she did it twice for 1 hour each.

I loved every minute of it.

Mimi and Grando are visiting for spring break while Chad is in Mexico and we are having fun. We haven't been good about taking photos but will get on it tomorrow.

Summer has been standing unassisted alot the past couple of days. Here she is caught in the act.

Healthy Update

Ok I am wrapping up day 3 of my new healthy life and I feel good.

Different from all my previous "get fit" attempts, I am not following any fad diet program or exercise regimine. Instead, each of my meals contain a protein, carb and vegetable. I don't feel deprived and therefore I haven't had any cravings.

My workout is currently a fast walk/occasional jog at the park for 1 hour. I push Summer in the stroller and she falls asleep immediately...perfect for the both of us. The path is paved a portion and natural the other. It is really is a nice place to spend my time.

Here we are on our walk today.

Here are my meals today.

Breakfast - Yes these eggs look gross but that is because they are "dirty" with flavor. I sauteed onions, artichokes and mushrooms into the omelete.

Lunch (not pictured) - Chick fil A charbroiled chicken sandwich with a side salad

Dinner - Tilapia with a Mango sauce over Jasmine rice with a refreshing salad

Dessert - Chocolate graham crackers with milk

Summer loves me and she says mama all the time! In fact she loves me so much that at times she only wants to be in my arms. However, I cannot always hold her when I am preparing meals in the kitchen. Most of her meltdowns are on the kitchen floor. This morning I heard her whinning while I was mixing together her food. I turned around and she was fussing but laying her head down on the floor...sweet right.

Well she continued to fuss and I continued to take photos. We eventually made it to this facial expression.

For all of you who are on the bandwagon with me, I hope that you have eaten right and made time to exercise today.

In my Bible study this week I have been focused on the lesson of Martha and Mary from Luke 10:38. It was our lesson at church on Sunday and I took from it that I need to try to not be a Martha. So often I fill my days with all the little stuff (like Martha did). Instead I need to set my priorities straight and act like Mary.
Talk to yall soon!

A Fresh Start

I'm doing it! I am putting it out there for all of you to know.

Yes, I am starting (as of yesterday) to eat right and exercise. (That sentence wasn't fun to write.)

AND, I am starting a daily personal Bible study.

For me, I have always felt that both my spiritual and physical health go hand in hand. In both situations I have a good idea of what I need to do to be "healthy" yet I struggle with putting them into practice.

As far as weight loss, I haven't put a number on how many pounds I want to lose. Mainly I just want to fit comfortably in my spring clothes from pre-pregnancy (around 10 lbs).

When temptation hits (2-5pm) I will use my spiritual strenght to dig deep and pull out some...what's that word...oh yeah, "will power."

One of my strenghts is that I can be a pretty good motivator. If you want to join me in this challenge let me know and we can hold each other accountable.

Summer is still congested. The crud seems to have moved from her head to her chest. I am going to call the doctor today to see what I should be watching for in order to make sure this doesn't progress.

Sweet Daddy and Daughter

Gramma and Grandad came to visit this weekend and here are a few pictures. Check out Chad's reflection in the door acting goofy to get a smile.

And here is a cute fabric flower I made this weekend. I am brainstorming on decorating ideas for Summer's room and they include many of these cute flowers.

When Life Beats You Down

You know, this week has been tough physically for me since I am caring for Summer who isn't feeling well. And to top it off there was a poor choice of words made by a stranger today that really knocked me down. I am typically not a sensitive person but since I was already weak it didn't take much. It was one of those things where they don't know me and therefore weren't intentional but still got me feeling lousy. My first reaction was to take it out on someone else, honestly. Instead I bit my tongue and decided that before I go to bed I would check and see what scripture might turn my bad attitude around.
I do feel guilty that I look for guidance from God when things aren't going my way and yet don't give him enough praise on the good, or even "ok" days. I mean I do say thanks in my prayers but I don't go seeking scripture verses on how happy I am. I hope to use this blog as a way to help myself improve in that area.

So on the odd chance that you might be feeling similar to me, here is a verse to encourage us both: John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Notes from my Bible: Jesus ' promise of abundant life, which begins in the here and now....
I want to stop right there and ponder on that. So often I consider the reward for being a Christian is eternity in Heaven(far far away). But here I see that his promise to me is in this moment-today. The Bible is telling me I can have life abundantly right now. Well, yes I could see that being possible if I stripped down some of these earthly thoughts, feelings, actions that I do daily. So why don't I?
Interesting realization, in the morning when I am at my best my thought process is all about what I can do by myself. Yet in the evening when I am beat down by the day and realize I am weak, it is then that I have to look beyond myself. However, the cycle continues and I will wake up tomorrow thinking "I" can do it all. And that my friends is why you should do a Bible study in the morning and not at night. That way you can act on it throughout the day.
Someone hold my hand...I am stepping down off my soapbox.
The end.

Under the Weather

Could it be teething? 6 inches of snow? exposure to other kids in the nursery? reaction to her 9 month shot?

Whatever the cause, Summer is showing cold like symptoms; congested yet runny nose, fatigue yet lack of sleep, irritability and clinginess.

However I do have to say that yesterday during all of this, snow included, we had a great day. We stayed in our pajamas and just loved on each other. I attempted to fold clothes on the floor with her in my lap and she just crawled up my shoulder clinging to me like she was giving me a hug. That was one of the best moments as being a mother so far!

This is what Summer looked like most of the day.

Here is a smile I squeezed out of her. Amazing how funny she thinks I am when I eat one of her crackers.

And since Sampson is high chair height there is quite a bit of "sharing" that goes on.