Spicy Magnolia

Gettin' It In Gear

If you read the post from last Friday, or at least viewed the video, you have a good idea of what we did this weekend:  watched some good ol' American basketball!  The yard work didn't happen since it ended up being pretty cool on Saturday.  But we caught a few good games.  Surprisingly, flipping the coin for my sister-in-law's bracket didn't hurt us much at all.  We're tied for 7th place out of 30.  And as far as BooMama's bracket I participated in, well, I used my good ol' noggin for that one and it ain't worth even mentioning what I'm ranked it's so pathetic.

Look what I got in the mail yesterday from Lands' End (forgive me, I'm no photographer but so wanna be):

These pictures certainly don't do them justice, so if you'd rather see them on a professional model, you can click here for the solid ruffle tank and here for the original sport tankini.

I know I'm crazy thinking about swimsuits already, but I want to have one on hand and ready for whenever we take Brennan swimming for the first time.  I mustered enough courage to actually try them on this morning, surprisingly.  While having lost all but three pounds of the baby weight I'd gained, I've survived (unhealthily, I know) on chocolate milk, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and chocolate chip cookie dough to give me a bit of a boost during the day.  It's a pick-me-up and a substitute for coffee.  But,  I.  Must.  Stop.  It.  My body has taken on a whole new shape since being pregnant and the pick-me-ups are adding to the problem!  Maybe I should leave these swimsuits out on the kitchen table as a constant reminder to avoid partaking in those wonderful things that ultimately will lead to my demise, literally and "figure"-atively.  ha ha! 

The solid ruffle tank is a great swimsuit:  very flattering and pretty.  I think I would keep it except for the fact that I'm dealing with some major changes to my body figure, particularly the upper parts of my body, if you get my drift.  I've never worn a tankini for a bathing suit, but it was quite comfortable; I didn't want to take it off.  And seeing as how I'll be trying to keep up with an exploring little boy while wearing a bathing suit, I should probably go with the one that offers more coverage when I bend over.  Or maybe hubby will let me keep both of them if he dangles a little hubby/wife getaway to the beach my way???

So yep, Internet peeps, as far as feeling good in a bathing suit goes, I gotta get in in gear!  I guess my title is a bit misleading:  I haven't "gotten" it in gear quite yet...I'm working up the motivation to make it an action verb.  I bought this before Brennan came along and I finally drug it out of the closet last week:

Oh, it's out of the closet, but not out of its wrapper, mind you.  I heard it was good.  Dadgummit, it's gotta be good.  Just look at the girl on the cover!  Why do they do that?  Is it supposed to be motivational?  They should have in big bold letters across the top, "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL" to alleviate any frustration or depression over not looking like this gal after months of sweatin' it out. 

I'm thinking I should not do it in front of Brennan, at least for the first few weeks until I get to the point where I don't look like a complete exercise-phobic, worn-out momma who can't catch her breath.  Mark it now:  it would be the first time ever he'd be embarrassed by his momma!  Then when I look like the gal in the picture, or at least 15% somewhat, I'll bring him out and show him what his momma can do.  All other areas of my life he can see my fallibility blatantly on a daily basis, so why subject him to one more area when I can improve upon it a bit before he witnesses it?  <grin>

Ok, just gotta share one more thing that's on my brain.  Tomorrow is the month of April.  Tomorrow marks the first day of the month in which I turn 30 years old.  I'm not really all that bothered about turning 30; hubby preceded the way for me and that's all that matters.  ha ha!  But I've been thinking a lot about it.  So much so, I recently bought wrinkle treatment and Olay's Pro-X Restoration Eye Complex.  (By the way, cool rebate plan for Olay Professional products here.)  I've heard it too many times recently that it's never too early to start with the face products.  With hearing about it as many times as I have in recent days, I'd be a foolish gal to neglect such advice.  <grin> 

Call me crazy, but I think turning 30 has gotta be a dang good reason to start gettin' it in gear, Internet peeps!  Brennan is sleeping right now, so you'd think I'd get off the computer and pop in the workout video.  Maybe I'll just unwrap it.  That's a step. 

Moved

Let me just get right down to it:  my heart is heavy.  Heavy for a 5 month little boy who is fighting for his life.  His name is Stellan.  I do not know this little boy.  But he somehow has captured my heart.  Maybe because I now have a little boy.  And there are features of this boy that remind me of Brennan.  His blue eyes for one.  His chubby rolls for another.  I can't explain why I feel the way I do about this little boy; I don't understand it myself.  Except that I'm a mommy now.  And I can't imagine.  I can't imagine being in MckMama's shoes.  And as I look at pictures of this little boy, I am deeply moved.  Moved by the Spirit of God to ask, to cry out to Jesus, for a miracle in healing him, fully and completely to grow into a big boy.  Moved and humbled that in the midst of the ups and downs, MckMama writes something like this.

As I gaze into the blue eyes of my Brennan, I long with every part of my being for little Stellan to be healed, to return to his momma's arms fully restored and healthy.  He is able.  He IS able. 

*You can click on the sidebar button "Praying for Stellan" for more background to Stellan's already amazing story...he's already a miracle baby in that he wasn't even supposed to survive in utero...but he's 5 months old!*

A Love-Hate Relationship

Ever find yourself getting nit-picky about something minuscule?  Any of you have a tendency to make a big deal out of something small?  Maybe it's a woman thing?  Well, it's definitely a "Meghan thing".  I am a person that is constantly learning how to not take myself, or life for that matter, so seriously.  Constantly learning how to not be so uptight.  Or weirded out by things that ought not to really weird me out, or be such a big deal.  But sometimes, they just are, and it's an uphill battle (and I'm talking about a hill the size of Mt. Everest) for me to have the right attitude about it.

Take for example one of the most recent things that I made a big deal about before Brennan was born:  hubby's desire to buy a video camera because we were having a baby.  Oh, I had a hay-day over that!  Why?  Because I deeply loathe video cameras.  I realize that probably makes me an antiquated stiff, but it's something I actually have some strong opinions about.  We had a new digital camera with a small recorder on it, so I thought it was pointless to get a full-blown camcorder.  Are they even still called camcorders?  Well, and truth be told, I just really didn't want to have one. 

Some wives pick their battles wisely.  Me?  I'd say 70% of the time, I choose to make issue of something pitifully lame.  And for some reason, hubby's desire for a video recorder impassioned me deeply.  You still curious about why?  Well, for one thing, I really don't like being recorded.  Vainly, I don't like how I look.  I also feel uncomfortable and never know what to say, feeling put on the spot.  Secondly, who actually goes back and looks at the videos?  I mean, every once in a blue moon.  But for this throw-away-give-away addict, it's just one more thing to find a place to store and haul around with moves.  And the number of times you actually re-watch them doesn't outweigh the spatial imposition they put you in.  And you have pictures, so why need video?  And lastly, I feel like they can be a distraction.  One can be so focused on trying to get a special event recorded that they miss taking in the special moment that is taking place right before their eyes.  Instead, they're thinking about technical gadgets, getting just the right angle, and making sure everything is in focus.  But I guess they can always go back and watch it, hey?  <grin> 

Oh, the battle raged in me about my attitude towards it, because I knew Matt wanted to get one.  Why was I so emblazoned about something so ridiculous?  I really wanted to respect Matt and bless him with a "man toy", but sadly, I confess my own selfish desires were winning out.  And thus, we didn't get one, at least for the time being.

So when we got home from the hospital with our baby boy and I saw the Amazon.com package in our living room for Matt's birthday that our whole family went in together to give him, my curiosity was sparked, for Matt never vocalized a desire for a video recorder to them.  Fortunately, I was still "high" on bringing home my firstborn babe when I indeed found out it was the something I dreaded getting.  Don't get me wrong, it was a very generous and thoughtful gift, but it now made me face my selfishness directly.  I could no longer hide from it.  I could no longer avoid it.  I was staring at it point blank.  Poor guy, he probably didn't have any fun opening it knowing my strong aversion to video cameras.  But I could choose:  be upset about it and throw a little tantrum like a 2 year old (which I do sometimes), or be happy that Matt had his new "man toy" that was a perfect birthday present for him.  If I were honest, I probably fell somewhere between the two. 

Since then, I guess I could say that I have a love-hate relationship with the thing.  Matt's taken a few video shots of Brennan that I'm so glad he's captured:  Brennan's stretching and wrinkly face antics.  And of course, when Molly proceeded to help with bath time, I just had to get my fingers on the thing.  Yet the reasons I don't like it are still ever-present...still workin' through those suckers.  I will say, however, filming a bit of the little guy the other day to send off to his Papa and Nana who live far, far away was rather fun.  And so, for the sake of practicing and getting used to having it, I'll share with you (every now and then when I suck up my aversion to it <grin>) a little footage.  Here's a bit for today; Brennan wanted to say, 'hi'!

Playing around with the videos also makes me want to get a MacBook!  <grin>  Anyhow, truly, a big 'thank you' goes out to our family for this video camera that, when my baby boy has gone to bed but I want keep looking at him, enables me to replay his preciousness over and over again!  Have a great weekend ya'll!

Pumping By Faith

I'm feeling like a new woman these days.  Brennan is now sleeping 12 hours at night, which means I'm getting 6-7 consecutive hours of sleep.  It's awesome!  The little guy had one night of whimpering last week that we didn't respond to with a feeding since he drifted right back to sleep, and the next night he slept 10 hours.  He's since jumped to 12 the past couple of nights.  I hesitate to write about it because I know so many babies go months without sleeping through the night, or at least have difficulty making that transition.  I can't tell you the amount of grace and mercy the Lord has given to me through Brennan's easy-going personality.  But I attribute all of it to His Maker and Designer.  I have no idea what the little chap will be like as a toddler, but I'm relishing his laid-back goodness right now!

Since he's sleeping through the night, I'm trying establish a morning routine for myself before he wakes up.  Today was the first day I've been able to crawl out of bed to have "official" quiet time with the Lord.  I opened up Beth Moore's Esther study that I bought before Brennan was born.  When I opened up the study today, the front page listed a bunch of time ranges.  As I was watching the first video session back in January, I was also timing contractions.  That wasn't distracting in the least!  <grin>  They were regularly 6 minutes apart but not increasing in intensity.  And by the afternoon, I was still feeling them but they weren't as consistent.  Little did I know the next morning when I went into the doctor's office that those were real contractions that had prepped me to have my baby boy later that afternoon!  It was sure fun to open up that study and see those times listed! 

If you'd allow me the good pleasure of sharing one way the Lord has carried me through the last 2 months, I'd love to take a moment and brag on Him a bit.  I'll preface this by saying...I am currently reading the chapter called "Nondenominational Motherhood" in Marla Taviano's Changing Your World One Diaper at a Time.  It's a book that will make you laugh, cry, breath deep sighs of relief in knowing you're not alone, and encourage you all at the same time.  It's great.  In the aforementioned chapter, she writes, "Unity in diversity (referring to mommy topics that tend to divide us) is maturity."  This is not a post declaring a strong stance one way or the other about a mommy topic that tends to divide, but rather a testimony of how the Lord is demonstrating His faithfulness to me at this time.  That said...

I am a mommy.  A mommy who is walking through the emotions of not being able to nurse her baby.  And yet, I finally have a peace about it and am not beating myself up over it.  I first wrote about Brennan's weak latch and my low milk supply here, and I want to humbly share with you that the Lord truly answered those prayers.  In my weakest, most depressed moments of not getting Brennan to latch (and despite continuous attempts to try, he still strongly resists having anything to do with it), I was not sure my supply would be able to be built back up again.  To rebuild my supply, I began pumping and supplementing with formula.  The Lord impressed upon my heart however, the story of the Israelites in the desert shortly after they departed Egypt and enslavement.  The people began to grumble against Moses and Aaron, saying they wish they had just died in Egypt--that at least in Egypt they had all the food they wanted, but in the desert, they said they would die of starvation.  But the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you.  The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day."  (Exodus 16:4)  Moses told the people, "You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning..." (Exodus 16:8)  Each person was to take as much as he needed for that day.   "...he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.  Each one gathered as much as he needed."  (Exodus 16:18)  The Lord provided exactly what His people needed. 

As I reflected on this story, I believe the Lord purposefully reminded me of this story as a picture of how He would provide my milk for Brennan.  He would provide the exact amount of milk Brennan would need; my supply would be restored, but it wouldn't be too much or too little.  Sounds great, right?  Well, I tell you what. Despite what should have brought me peace, I was anxious.  What should have brought me assurance, I doubted.  Despite what should have brought me certainty, I questioned.  Each day was still an emotional, anxious battle as to whether or not I'd have enough milk. 

Shortly after pumping and taking some medication to boost my supply, I was able to wean him off the formula and also begin a healthy freezer stash of milk.  I was more than thankful to regain my supply; that was a HUGE answer to prayer!  At the same time, I also began the juggling act of trying to pump exclusively, feed him, and have an actual day.   Between pumping and feeding, it would take at least an hour to an hour and a half each time.  And sometimes the timing would be off and I wouldn't have Brennan's next bottle ready and he'd just have to cry it out until I could pump.  That was the worst!  Or I felt like I was missing out on play time because I'd pump during his happiest time.  Or I was missing out in holding him in my arms while he slept because I'd wake him up from his nap if I had to get up and pump.   I will admit, it was tough folks.  It was emotionally painstaking to juggle everything and realize that my baby was fighting breastfeeding to no end! I found it also inhibiting to get out of the house.  But I really felt that part of trusting the Lord with my supply was not letting the scheduling of the pump rule me.  If I needed to be out and about at a certain time and postpone a pumping session, I needed to trust that it would be ok.  This whole juggling act is still difficult at times.  Like after having lunch with a friend the other day, the conversation in my mind went something like this:  do I go onto Target and pump in the parking lot or just wait till I get home?  If I take the time to pump then I know I'll still be here at the time of his next feeding.  Parking lot feeding or home feeding?  Hmmmm, Lord help me!

I soon discovered that my believing in the Lord's promise to me about having just what Brennan would need wasn't belief at all.  I was told at the time that Brennan would only need 3-4 ounces each feeding.  For some reason, I thought that meant indefinitely.  Shows how little I know about babies! I realized that the 3-4 ounces in a feeding was just for a period of time and that we should start bumping it up to 5-6 ounces.  I immediately began to doubt and fear crept in.  I've depended upon a hospital grade rental pump even though we bought a nice one for me to use.  Trying to make the transition to the one we bought, I decided to take ours with us to San Antonio when Brennan and I went for a few days.  But I hadn't even tried it out at home yet!  Once I arrived in San Antonio, I thought, how foolish of me!  I should have at least brought the hospital grade pump in case the other one didn't work as well.  What if my supply goes down?  What if I become engorged and infected?  Again, oh how weak is my faith!  I kept trying to remember the story of the manna the Lord put on my heart, saying, "Ok, Lord, help me to trust You with this!"  Somehow, we had enough milk.  Even when some was accidentally poured down the drain, we still had enough.  It shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.

Had I learned yet?  Nope.  I got home from San Antonio and Brennan was all of a sudden taking in 7-8 ounces in a feeding.  Yikes!  What am I going to do?  Hello, Meg!!  Don't you get it!? 

One day I was worried all day long about how much I was pumping compared to Brennan's intake.  I tracked mine and his all day long.  The numbers fluctuated.  I saw his numbers spike and mine stay in the 5-6 ounce range.  My anxiety picked up again.  Would I have enough from the freezer stash?  He's only 2 months.  I know, Lord, you laid that story on my heart for a purpose, but...but...but...Well, at the end of the day, I added all of the numbers up.  And you have to understand the full picture:  I track his intake and my output in milliliters, not ounces.  And guess what?  They were exact.  Exact!   Brennan's intake equaled my output to the exact MILLILITER!   Will I ever get it!?

I know each momma's journey through breastfeeding is different.  Despite tirelessly working at building a supply, some mommas are only able to exclusively pump for a little bit because of a variety of issues and some, not at all.  It can truly be agonizing to not be able to breastfeed.  After 9.5 weeks of walking through this, I finally feel at peace about it, and not as self-conscious feeding Brennan from a bottle out in public.  Oh, that insecurity comes and goes, for sure.  But I am feeling more comfortable with it.  In no way am I against giving Brennan formula if need be.  But this I know for sure:  for whatever reason, the Lord has made breastfeeding/pumping a journey of faith for me.  And I am supposed to trust Him in it.  I want to trust Him and not waiver so much.  Even days like today when I felt engorged and started questioning again, I found myself reflecting on the story of the manna and the Lord's provision.  I know that for however long I'll be able to pump will be just the right amount of time the Lord has purposed and provided for me to do so.   

I know this is a subject that is sticky in motherhood, and I'm sure there may have been things I didn't communicate perfectly about it.  I simply want to share, even if it's just for my own record, that the Lord has been so gracious and generous in:  giving me peace about not being able to breastfeed; helping me to see the many conveniences of bottle feeding <grin>; helping me work through the scheduling and many other inconveniences of pumping; providing just the right amount of milk that Brennan needs.  So when I open the fridge and see the milk for Brennan's next meal, it is a constant reminder to me of the Lord's faithful provision and how He is so clearly showing me that this is one way He's walking with me through this journey of motherhood.

And as I type this, the power just went out.  Am I going to trust Him with the freezer supply I have?? At least I have an excuse to devour that mint chocolate chip ice cream before it melts!  <grin>

A Growing Boy

So Moos had her vet appointment yesterday.  The diagnosis: we're still not sure.  But this we do know: it's nothing serious at this point, which is a HUGE relief, and I am beyond thankful!  There are some things we're pursuing and looking into, but for now, she's enjoying  a new, more flavorful diet that will help with intestinal inflammation.  The one scary, and maddening thing, was that something happened to her while they were positioning her for the x-rays and she could barely get up last night and this morning.  We had to help her up and at one point, Matt even carried her to our bedroom.  With big dogs in particular, you do not mess with their hips, and Molly has some issues with her hips as it is.  So when my baby couldn't get up, I was freakin' out, and so very upset that 1) they hadn't noticed and 2) that they weren't more gentle with her because they very well know about her hips!  So we're still dealing with that issue because the vet wasn't in the office today for me to speak to her about it.  But they did call in some pain meds and she's doing a little better.  It looks like they were not very gentle with my baby girl, albeit she was moving a lot while they were trying to position her, and she's super sore.  I'm one hot mama though, trying to cool down.

And Mr. Brennan, well he's measuring 12 lbs. 10 oz. and is 24 inches long!  He jumped from the 50th percentile in both weight and height to the 75th percentile for weight and 80th percentile for height!  He is my Chunky Monkey!  It's amazing how much babies grow and develop in such a short time span.  It's like they're on fast forward or something.  He was a brave soul getting his shots today.  He came home and took a long nap with the March Madness basketball games playing in the background. 

My little guy will be 9 weeks old tomorrow and for some time, I've wanted to capture in writing some of his antics, personality, and developments before they slip from my mind and/or he moves onto the next stage.  At the rate we're going, I'm not sure which will come first!

• For the last few days, you've been sleeping 7.5 hours straight, waking up for a feeding anywhere between 2:00-3:30 a.m. and then going back to sleep for another 4-5 hours.  This is making Mommy very happy!  You are so fun to come get in the mornings when you wake up.  Although you're mostly crying because you're hungry, as soon as you see me, you'll wind it down a notch and pretty soon, a gigantic smile will roll across your face.  Sometimes I lay awake in bed anticipating the time I get to grab you from your crib and smother you with kisses (that rather annoy you most of the time).  You've seemingly outgrown what were regular tummy issues that would creep up on you from 5-6 a.m.  It was always a mystery to me whether you were having tummy problems, hungry, or a combination of both.  Now that that enigma is solved, I'm an even happier Mommy.

• You are such a ham when it comes to feeding time!  The desire for food, and I guess the fear of going hungry, is probably the only thing that brings out some impatience in you.  You stretch and stretch and stretch throughout the whole feeding, bringing about an impish look on your face.  And you despise burping.  Absolutely hate it.  We have to fill your tummy up with enough food before we burp you the first time or else we have a serious meltdown.  And even then we're not guaranteed it'll work.  You still have a weak latch and sometimes feedings can be messy as you drool all over, but you sure work hard at getting as much milk as you possibly can!

• You love your play mat.  You are enamored with the musical star that lights up and the parrot that you've begun swinging at.  You've been able to grab it a couple of times, hanging on for dear life.  You're also content in your swing. 

• Speaking of content, you are quite content anywhere.  Every single day I thank the Lord that He gave me you.  You are such a content little baby, happy to be trucked along anywhere at anytime.  Mommy has finally figured out that you cry only when you really need something.  You are the most easy-going, laid back little fella, just like your daddy, praise the Lord! 

• You go down fairly easily for naps and bedtime.  You just want to be swaddled. 

• For the past few weeks, we've been working on getting a bedtime routine down.  It varies from time-to-time.  Sometimes I'll give you a bath before Daddy comes home so he can read to you The Chronicles of Narnia.  Or sometimes he'll give you a bath when he gets home.  We're trying to work out the timing such that we can all three have dinner together with you in your swing; it's only worked out a few times, but we're getting there.  You stay pretty active from 3-7 p.m. so by the time we give you a bottle before bedtime, you are ready to hit the sack!  We swaddle you all up, say our bed time prayers, put on Twila Paris' lullaby CD and tuck you in bed.

• Bath time is fun!  At least most of the time...unless you're super duper tired.

• You have the deepest blue eyes that get really wide when you're taking in something new.  Yesterday when we were working in the yard together, the blue in the sky reflecting in your eyes made them the deepest blue I've ever seen in an eye.  Yes, Momma is being a little dramatic writing about your eyes.  <grin>

• Your first feeding of the morning is around 7 a.m. and then I fix my breakfast. I prop you up on the floor with some pillows and you, me and Molly have our breakfast picnic every morning together.  Molly hovers to get some toast scraps.

• You're downing 6-7 ounces each feeding, 5 times a day! That's where that chub is coming from, dear boy!

• You love little Lambie, the lamb that Gaga gave to you.  You love how soft it is and hold it tight while you ride in your car seat and sit in your swing.

I admit, little boy, you have sure grown on me.  You have my heart.  A year ago I wasn't sure I ever wanted to be a momma.  Even when I found out I was pregnant with you, doubts raged.  But now, knowing you, I would never ever want to go through life without you, my little Brennan.  You sure are my buddy and an absolute delight to be with.  It is an honor to be your mommy, and thank you for the amazing amount of grace and patience you have with me as I learn this role.  Although I know you're tempted to, don't grow too fast on me.  As each day whizzes by, even ones like today with a MAJOR diaper explosion ALL over my legs, I will forever love you and cherish each and every day I have with you.  I love you, Brennan.

 

Us at the doctor's office today...before your shots <grin>

Link Love

Hi, Internet peeps!  Matt needed to work a little bit tonight so I'm sittin' here watching Dancing with the Stars and American Idol drinking a glass of chocolate milk.  The amount of chocolate far surpasses the milk.  Oh, how happy it makes me!  By the way, so far Melissa and Shawn are my favorites in DWTS; I have yet to pick a favorite for AI.  What about you?

Me and Chunky Monkey have had a wonderful past two days!  We made our first trip to the grocery store yesterday.  I couldn't fit his car seat in the grocery basket and had no idea what to do with it.  So walking into the store, I asked the lady walking in next to me if she was a momma.  She said with a smile, "Yes, I am."  I proceeded to ask her, "What do I do with the car seat?"  She was so friendly and helpful, showing me different options.  With the car seat set, we made our way through the grocery store.  He was lulled to sleep by the motion of the cart and my voice since I was talking to him the whole time.  The last two days have been great days enjoying my sweet baby.  Thank you, Lord!

Here are some things I think you'd be interested in:

• The animation of this video of the Hudson River plane landing is amazing.  The story is still incredible to me.
• My friend, Jill, made us Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry from Cooking Light a few weeks ago to help us out with Brennan.  It is delicious!  If you're not a shrimp fan, I'm sure there's a way to substitute it with chicken.  Serve it with fried rice and snow peas.  I'm making it for dinner this week.  I'm telling you, it is good! 
• Julie requested the recipe to Kim's pumpkin ice cream pie with chocolate-almond bark and toffee sauce that I mentioned in the last post.  The recipe is from Epicurious.  Here it is.
• Who is psyched about March Madness!?  I AM!  Granted, I have no idea what's been goin' on in the world of basketball, but there is something really cool about March Madness and the lively variety that it brings to the weeks ahead.  Matt and I just filled out a bracket for a pool that my sister-in-law put together.  We flipped a coin to determine the game winners.  For the first round, about 80% of the underdogs were selected to win because of how the coin toss turned out.  Ha!  I think we're gonna be losers with a capital L!  We shall see.  I'm also filling out a bracket in BooMama's group.  If you're interested in filling one out for kicks, go here for more info.  Brennan's gonna be lovin' him some b-ball by the end of the month!  Go Tar Heels! 
• If you like making photo collages, check this out.  Matt made one with some of our pics:

Christina asked how Molly's vet appointment went (thanks, Christina!).  She was a happy camper; they spoil her with treats oh, yes they do!  She had some blood drawn but has to go back tomorrow for x-rays and an ultrasound.  This is not the first time she's suffered from rumbly, upset tummies, but it's gotten progressively worse over the years.  She really doesn't feel well, and I'm worried about her.  So hopefully we'll know more this week and it won't be serious.  We're giving her lots of lovies.  The funny thing about the vet though was that you could definitely tell she and her assistants are animal people; they barely acknowledged Brennan at all.  It was hilariously odd.

So Molly goes to the vet tomorrow and then Brennan goes to the doctor for his 2 month check up on Thursday. He'll get four shots!  I'm dragging Matt with me because I can't bare to see him go through it. 

It's been gorgeous here this week.  I hope to get out with Brennan and work in the yard over the next few days.  The weeds are starting to overtake our backyard and I can't take it any longer.  Spring is here, my friends.  Hope ya'll have a wonderful evening and Happy St. Pat's Day!

Oh, wait...I just had an exciting, fleeting thought!  Easter is coming!  That means that the Easter bunny is on his way!  There's much more to Easter than that, don't get me wrong.  But a renewed sense of excitement for the Easter bunny that I haven't had in years has suddenly resurged because of the new little one in our home!  I mean, he'll only be 3 months, but hey, it's Brennan's first Easter!  Any fun ideas about what to put in a little Easter basket for him or where to find a cute basket?

Ok, now I'm signing off.  G'night.  <grin>

Week in Photos

You ready for some pictures?  Well hold onto your britches because here they are!  I've gotta lot to update you on!  Last weekend, Matt's two sisters, Kim and Melissa, came into town to meet Chunky Monkey.  This was my first opportunity to be with them just us gals for a good portion of time and we had a blast!  We stayed around the house on Friday hanging out together and went on a walk before we headed out on the town for the evening.  We went to what is now one of my most favorite Austin restaurants:  Kona Grill.  The food was delicious!  We started out sharing the avocado egg rolls and then I had the mouth-watering macadamia nut chicken.  To finish it off, we split the brownie sundae.  And believe you me, it was no ordinary brownie sundae...it was awesome!  Brennan was in his car seat on top of a high chair so he was at our eye level joining us at the table.  I was very relieved to see all the other kiddos coming into the place.  I'm still nervous going out with him, but he has yet to justify that nervousness.  He really is a trooper and loves observing new settings. 

Melissa & Kim outside of Kona Grill at The Domain

We came upon a baby in the middle of the sidewalk


He's pretty cute.  I contemplated taking him home with me.  He was sure bright-eyed taking in all the new surroundings.

On Saturday, we ventured out to an Austin hot spot on the lake:  a coffee shop called Mozart's.  We picked up sandwiches from that still unmentionable sub place that made me sick for five days and ate out on the deck.  Or maybe it was a virus?  I don't know.  Whatever it was, I'm just glad it's gone.  Sipping on hot chocolate and chai, it gave us an extra boost for the rest of the day. 

There's that baby again.  He seems to be following us.

That night, Matt and I were spoiled with a celebration dinner made by Kim and Melissa.  Kim has become quite the chef trying out some delicious, and fancy, recipes! 

 
While they were fixing dinner, me and hubby played with Brennan.  We couldn't resist taking him home!

Get a load of this!  For dinner, Kim made the following menu:

Crispy bruschetta with goat cheese, tomatoes and mint
Steak with Parmesan butter, balsamic glaze, and arugula
Scalloped Yukon Gold and Sweet potato gratin with fresh herbs
Pumpkin ice cream pie with chocolate-almond bark and toffee sauce

It took a few hours to make, but it was so tantazlizing that we devoured it within a matter of minutes.  They made it such a special evening celebrating Brennan's birth; he even made out with a few new adorable outfits to grow into!  Kim also brought a video of our nephew, Jadon, with a special "I love you" message for Brennan.  It was the sweetest thing.

Sadly, I was laid up in bed all day Sunday sick as a dog and missed out on hanging out.  But the girls got special brother/nephew time.

That weekend was the grand finale to all of our memorable family visits that have spanned the last two months.  We can't thank our family enough for taking the time and making all the sacrifices they have to pour out love upon us by visiting, serving, and encouraging us!  We've cherished our time with each of them.  We just gotta introduce Brennan to Uncle Tom and his cousin Jadon!

This past Tuesday, I bundled little Brennan up and we drove down to San Antonio to spend a few days with my Momma who was on spring break.  Daddy had to work in Corpus so we didn't get to see Pops, unfortunately.  But the three of us thoroughly enjoyed each other's company!  A week ago, we officially made the transition of putting Brennan to bed in his crib upstairs, so he's no longer sleeping in our room.  We kinda miss the little fella; we're keeping the pack n' play up for a bit for sentimental reasons.  <grin>  But I think the adjustment helped him prepare for being in his own nursery at my parents' place as well.  He totally soaked up his new surroundings and loved running errands each day with his Meems, as well as being held in her arms!

The puppy in the picture:  Seymour.  He and Dapples absolutely love Brennan!  But boy, little Seymour stuck to him like glue!  He would jump up to peer into Brennan's crib and sleep right by his side.

The puppies helping out with bath time




He loves his Meems taking care of him

Momma and I thoroughly loved the cold, rainy days that greeted our neck of the woods unexpectedly.  I was able to stay in my PJs all day relaxing next to a fire.  Most nights, we stayed in and ate yummy soup Momma made for dinner.  But on Thursday night, we ventured out and went to none other than Luby's Cafeteria!  And ya'll, you have to understand how signifcant that is to me.  Growing up, Mondays were my mom's cleaning days and so every Monday night, our family would eat out at Luby's.  Mac and I grew sick of it.  And I mean SICK of it!  It became the brunt of family jokes, and after many, many years of weekly runs to Luby's, we finally boycotted the place.  Low and behold, twelve years or so later of refusing to step foot in the place, I found myself craving the fried okra and macaroni and cheese I'd eat growing up.  Oh, I was a healthy eater back then, yes I was.  So I agreed to break the boycott and head to Luby's.  It was a blast from the past!  Modernized a bit, however.  And guess what?  I had the very same thing I did as a little girl:  chopped steak, mac n' cheese, fried okra, and a dinner roll.  That one run satisfied my craving for awhile; I probably won't step foot in the place again for another 12 years.  <grin>

It literally took Matt a couple of days to give me the go-ahead to leave and spend a few days in San Antonio because he would miss us Brennan so much. <grin>  He finally lovingly agreed but, oh my word!  You should have heard how much he complained commented on how he thought Brennan grew over the three days we were gone, saying I'd brought back a different baby.  Studying all of Brennan's newly developed baby chub, Matt said his baby was working on a "triple chin" and was strikingly more hefty.  "What had I done to his baby!?" he repeatedly declared.  He was still absolutely thrilled to see us both!

One fun thing I brought back from San Antonio were pictures of me as a baby that Gaga had taken.  I'll have to post a few because Internet peeps, I could have passed as Brennan in a dress!  The resemblance is uncanny!  I have to be careful because I find myself completely enthralled by the fact that Brennan looks like me, teetering on the verge of being prideful.  It just delights my heart so much.  Not that I wouldn't want him to look like his daddy, but I always pictured having a dark haired, brown-eyed baby, and I find it rather special he's my blue-eyed, blonde-haired babe.

Saturday morning was a bit of an experiment.  While Matt headed to the airport to pick up some friends who were back from their vacation, I headed with Molly and Brennan to Moos' vet appointment.  So it was the first time we piled both Brennan and Molly in our sedan.  One day I'll have a jumbo mommy car.  However, it will NOT be a minivan!  In my dream world, it would either be a 4 Runner or a Sequoia.  Matt would definitely say those are dreams, but alas, I've already had so many of my dreams come true!  <grin>

We moved the car seat over to the passenger door side as opposed to the middle spot so Molly could fit.  It took her awhile to figure out how to lay down, but she eventually managed to learn how to rest her head on Brennan's car seat, as pictured here.

I think she's still a little unsure of how this baby has changed her life.

The loved puppy still gets her morning walks with Daddy though...even when it's raining.  Here's the cutest puppy during a drying off session. 

Yesterday we went to church and Brennan slept through the entire service!  Right when we loaded him in the car though, he made some fuss so we decided to feed him before we made the 30 minute trek home.  We stopped at Fuddrucker's on the way home to get some good ol' burgers and then spent the rest of the afternoon chillin'.  I cleaned a little before hubby left for a game night over at a friend's house.  And what did I start working on when Brennan went to sleep?  A blog post! 

Wrapping up Brennan's lunch at church

Since we've concluded all of our family visitations, we're ready to get into a "normal" life...whatever that may look like.  And guess who is 2 months old today!?

This happy fella:

Needin' Some Serious Updating

Lest I totally get reprimanded by my sister-in-law, Julie, I need to get crackin' with my bloggin'!  Oh, Internet peeps, how dearly I miss you.  I'm sure I've lost readers by not posting as often, which honestly makes me very, very sad.  I love blogging, and I wish I could do it every day, or at least more often, but I have yet to find a way to do that.  Maybe soon and very soon.

I've taken Brennan on his first road trip!  We headed down to San Antonio yesterday to spend the week with my Momma, so we are here at Meems' home.  I am posting from my parents' computer so when I have the availability to post from my own, I'll share some fun pics.  The puppies are ENTRHALLED with baby Brennan, particularly Seymour and Dapples!  They are ready to play with him, take care of him, comfort him, and lick him all of the time.  Seymour sleeps next to his crib.  It's adorable!  It makes me sad because I thought Miss Molly would have been the same way.  Sometimes she is, but my dear puppy hasn't been feeling well lately, and I'm worried about her.  We have another vet appointment on Saturday.  We can't determine if Brennan totally rocked her world or if she's pretty sick; it's probably a combination.  For all you dog lovers out there, you know how this deeply affects my heart.  I can't type without tears rolling down.

Last Thursday, Matt's two sisters, Kim and Melissa, came to meet their nephew!  I want to dedicate a separate post about their visit so that'll be comin' soon.  We had so much fun! Matt and Brennan were wholly outnumbered. <grin>

And my little chunky monkey has been doin' some growin'!  He's definitely lost his newborn look and has taken on some serious baby chub.  He and Meems are out running some errands together right now.  He is such the trooper!  Last Thursday, I had him out on the town from 9 a.m-2:30 p.m. and he did great!  I even adapted to changing him in the car...twice!  Next week will be the first grocery store attempt.  Any recommendations?

One reason for my delayed updating was that I came down with an awful bout of food poisoning that I believe was from chicken salad from an unmentionable well-known Austin sub place.  Don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.  I feel a bit better today.  My tummy is still weak feelin', but I was in bed all day Sunday and have been one boring momma.  And let's just say that our toilet needs some major disinfecting.  If I had my way, I'd probably replace the whole sucker.  You know, when you think about it, toilets rock!  In seventh grade we had to present a model and a paper on one invention we were most grateful for, and yep, I chose the toilet. 

Anyhow, now that I've lost more readers due to the disgusting topic I just wrote about, I am off to take a quick nap before the chunky monkey and Meems get home.  And I'm still feeling a bit woozy, so we'll see how blogging goes this week...but keep hangin' in there with me! 

D.E.A.P.

D.E.A.P.:  an acronym some friends of ours living overseas came up with when they have an urgent prayer request.  Drop Everything And Pray.  That's what came to mind today after receiving a call from my Daddy about a dear family friend of ours who found out that he has metastatic lesions on his liver and lungs.  Robert is in his mid 20s.  His precious wife is Aimee.  They have two small daughters with another little one on the way.  I grew up with both Robert and Aimee.  The connection and history between my family and both Robert and Aimee's families run deep.  Robert is one of my brother's closest friends.  Please, please pray for this special family.  This has all happened so quickly; it's hard to take in.  Robert is in the hospital and undergoing immediate chemo treatments.  We are on our knees on behalf of this family right now.  Please, take a moment to drop everything and pray with us.  Thank you so much!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

Little Rays of Sunshine