More about Homemade Baby Food

All you avid fans out there may remember me mentioning
making baby food at home. I recall someone commented
saying that I was now becoming a "hippie" because of it.
Actually, I do it to save money, save time,
and to feed my baby healthier things than overly
processed foods. This is a shot of some
red beans, peas, and carrots. YUM!

Here is a cool video I found explaining how to make your own
baby food. My favorite part is at the end.
Lets just say: bird food....
Other than that it's a great video.
Good luck all you Hippie Moms!

Somebody Just Turned 1!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE!

Jane just turned 1 on October 1st. Scott had school all day long, so he just spent the morning with us. We began the day with
a happy birthday tune
as soon as she woke up. Then we opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Church
and from Grandma Houston and Grandpa Beldin.
As you can tell, she was very excited. Thank you!Off to birthday pancakes we then went.
Then Scott went to school for the rest of the day, so Jane and I were able to party hardy!
We walked to Kohl's and bought some fun toys and
spent they day playing around the house and out on the balcony.
Later while I made her cake, she enjoyed her very first beaters.

Looks like she likes
whipped cream!She enjoyed a
big chocolate cake
after dinner.Actually, I think she was more into stabbing it with a fork.
It was very cute.
Then it was off to the tub for a birthday bath wit her new toys from grandma and grandpa Church.
A picture with mommy in the bathroom.
And off to slumberland.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
LITTLE ONE!

Bizzaro Dream Land

So, the exterior of the building we live in is being painted. I did not know they would be painting yesterday and while all the blinds were open and I was vulnerably sitting alone in the living room, some guy climbed up a ladder and onto our balcony and freaked me out! But that's not the point of this story.
Well, the painters are all Hispanic which means they blast Mariachi music all day long. So, this morning while I was still sleeping the music was pumping right outside my window. Now, I blame my dream on the music, so please don't think I'm a weirdo. I dreamed about a chorus show that was all drag queens with red hair singing Mariachi music. That was a first. Once I woke up I realized that (no offense again...) Mariachi singers kind of sing with girly voices. Hence then dream.
Dreams are so funny! Have any of you had any funny ones lately?

How to make a baby laugh

So, this is how you do it. Stand next to them and do plenty of high kicks. That's all. Obviously I stood out of the shot, multiple high kicks can be embarrassing.

What does an Elephant say?

So, I'm not a huge fan of letting Jane watch TV or of those Baby Einstein videos. I've discovered that some of them are kind of freaky. However, Jane's into animals right now and she LOVES dogs (as long as they stay away from her) and can say "wuf" and she LOVES ducks and can sign duck and can say "duh". So I got World Animals, a Baby Einstein video from the library and a we discovered than Jane really likes elephants. So, here are a couple of videos of her demonstrating a fierce elephant sound.

Being a Parent

So, we only have bunny ears right now and it's kind of depressing. Especially because we were so spoiled before and had DVR (I would recommend it to everyone!). Anyway, I was catching up on my shows by watching them online and I came across a really great line in the season finally of ER from last year. Luca is talking to an old man and the old man says:

"Being a parent gives you strength you didn't know you had. They can keep you going, they can drive you. They can make you fight harder, soldier on, make you keep rowing up river even though everything else turns to crud."

Already feeling introspective today, this really hit me. It is so true. Now, since Jane was born things have been pretty good, but having gone through some things before she was born it makes me think that having her around would have given me even more strength to face tough times. When you have kids you become someone bigger than yourself. You no longer think of yourself first. I would do anything for her, put her needs before mine at any time. I remember when Scott was on chemo I told him to get through it if for no other reason than for our kids. We didn't have any yet, but we knew we wanted to someday and I couldn't do it without him (obviously;). So, even before we had any kids, knowing that they would someday come was what give him and myself the strength to get through that tough time. I know that when we face difficult times in the future I will be given strength beyond my own in order to endure for my kids and their future. I see and hear so many stories about people who go through terrible and difficult times and they do it, if for no other reason, for their kids. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I love my baby Jane and I would do anything for her. I never knew that kind of love until she came into my life. I am grateful for her and the strength that she gives me.

The Dearest Sister Money Can't Buy

Someone to look up to...
I am watching my sweet little niece (Janey) and have secretly taken control of my sister's blog. Yes I am an impostor posting on "Church-a-rama."

When I was little my sister told me I came to the family by means of a store. Yes, the family went down to a store and picked me off a shelf like a cabbage patch kid.

Despite this early traumatization, I would like to pay tribute to my only yet dearest sister, Feather Anne, Seather, HeathRat

From the first day we met...
Heather apparently was very happy to have a little sister to play with. I likely did not yet know any different at that point... I have fond memories of her making me my requested ketchup and sugar sandwiches while she babysat while mom took a nap.

She was always up for some fun times. Though I do not remember much from childhood (does anyone?) I know I always had my big sis. I was dying to go to school like she did. I was aching to be able to roll my tongue for Spanish school like she could (ARRRRRRIBA). I wanted to learn the words to Debbie Gibson and Paula Abdul's songs just like Heather and learn how to do the really cool hand frame dance that Madonna did. Always hoping to be like sis.

She's not afraid of roughing (sp?) it and helped me have a love for the same. We enjoyed many wild and crazy years at Girl's Camp and still enjoy singing camp songs. In an A-Frame such as the one in the picture, we would spend many summer weeks in years to come. Heather helped instill a love for Girl's Camp in me, a place where I made great friends, had wonderful silly times, and strengthened my knowledge and testimony about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She's a hard-working gal, who enjoys organizing, planning, and taking the horse by the reins- if you know what I mean. Her little babe is amazing due to heather's extensive research and putting in to practice such things as: getting babies to sleep well, eating well (makes her own baby food), avoiding food allergies, sign language... this list goes on and on. If you've met this baby you would know she NEVER cries (okay, almost never). She understands when it's time to go to bed and will quietly sing to herself while she falls asleep and the only real issue is she won't sit still for a diaper change and likes to do 360s while you hold her legs... but that's not Heather's fault. Her house is always filled with amazing artwork and decorative items heather made and hung by herself. I do not have the patience for such things. She always has and puts in to place elaborate home-organization schemes. She also fancies cooking and makes fun and delicious dishes.

She is very silly and will always keep you laughing. Scott wanted someone he could joke around with... well he found her. I was looking through her mission photo album and I do not think there is one single picture where she is not doing something silly making the whole room laugh.

I got to spend my birthday with her (Sunday) and she did so many special things for me that made my day, such as make my favorite cake (pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting, avoiding adding the nuts as I do not like them). Here she is on her mission acknowledging a street with my special day. She was a great little missionary in Brazil and touched many people. And now she speaks three languages! Now of course I am dying to learn Portuguese too.

We have many great memories together.

Thanks for being my big sis and don't get mad I stole your blog. (She just got home and I'm sneaking this blog entry in her newly set up craft corner.) I wish we lived closer so we could hang out more.

I love you big sis and thanks for being there and for all the fun times.

Crazy baby nightmares

SCARY!
So, early this morning I had a nightmare about Jane. I think it was a dream up until the end which woke me up. Sometimes when I pick her up I do so by her arms. And recently I've been wondering if that was a good idea. I didn't think much of it though because she doesn't seem to mind. So, in my dream I picked her up by her arms only to realize that instead I had ripped both of her arms off! I immediately woke up and almost cried and almost woke Scott to tell him but realized I was too tired to do either of those so I went back to sleep.

Have any of you moms out there ever had a similar baby nightmare? I would love to hear about it. Please leave comments and share your dreams/nightmares with those of us living day-to-day in blogland.