Thoughts on Esther: Week Three

I finished up my week three of Bible Study tonight. I can't even tell you how good that feels! I feel like I am always cramming the night before and hardly absorbing anything but this week, I took my time and actually finished day 5 on day 5 right when I was supposed to. Brett and I went over to some friend's house tonight and I left early to get Emersyn to bed since we have an early morning and then finished up my study in the quiet of my cozy living room.

I read a couple good thoughts tonight that I wanted to share. I love Beth Moore. I think she has a great way with words and has a gift of bringing the bible to life in a storytelling fashion.

Here is a paragraph that really resonated with me.....

"We've each been hurt by someone, but no one on earth has hurt us more than those who seem callous to it. We're acquainted with trying to deal with the wrong doing of others while they go on with life, oblivious to our pain. We fight an urge to corner them in a public place and scream, "Don't you get it?" If they won't judge themselves, the fleshly part of us would gladly enlist a group to help us judge them.

The situation becomes even more complicated when you sense that the very person who helped your life to fall apart wonders why you can't get it together. There's nothing quite like someone who hurt you judging you for being hurt."

I can't really expand on why this resonates so much with me but it encouraged me to know that I am not alone in my feelings and that other women have felt the same way too. :)

Another great thought....

"Sometimes God uses the winds of a new threat to blow the dust off a past miracle that has moved from our active file into the archives. Remember, beloved! Remember what God has done for you! Rehearse the story again! Find someone to retell it to!"

I definitely found that to be true in the last couple months. I was able to apply the same principles that the Lord had taught me in the past but just to a different circumstance.

Okay, enough late ramblings. Time for bed! Tomorrow I am going to bible study and then Emersyn is spending the day at her Nana's. I hope she is in good spirits, she has been a little under the weather still and clingy. Praying that she does well and has a good day. I wish I could be with her all day but a mama's got to do what a mama's got to do. :)

Good night!

Happy Birthday to My Mama!

Today is my sweet mama's birthday. I called her this morning via "skype" and was able to wish send her my birthday greetings somewhat in "person". It is still quite an adjustment having out of town parents but thanks to modern technology, it is easy to stay in touch.

I want to brag about my mama a little bit, seeing as it is her birthday. My mom pretty much gave up her vacation in Hawaii to be with Emersyn as much as possible. She is SO good with her and they are truly bonded. Emersyn knows who my parents are as much as she does any of her in town family. I think that is so special and I love seeing how much Emersyn loves my mom. Even when we came home, I could tell that Emersyn missed her Grammy. We talk about Grammy all the time and it seems everytime I turn around we are reading a book that Grammy got her or we are putting on some jammies that Grammy sent us. But anyways, back to bragging. My mom got Emersyn up each day, fed her, got her clothes on, often lathered her up in sunscreen (NOT an easy task), loved on her, played with her, and really gave Brett and I a break. Chasing a toddler is NOT an easy task and my mom really sacrificed her special Hawaiian time to spend time with her grand daughter. I am sure she would say she did nothing of the sort but I appreciated it and I noticed. Brett and I got to go on lots of adventures and my mom made sure that Emersyn got a good nap, that she was well fed, and most of all, well loved. Thank you mama!! I can't wait to see you again in 2 1/2 short months for the holidays!!!

Sunday Sunday

Today we stayed home from church. On Friday night, Emersyn got HORRIBLE sleep and was up in the night crying in her crib, obviously uncomfortable. I was afraid last night might be the same so I just planned on not going to church in the morning but praise the Lord, Emersyn actually got great sleep. So good, in fact, that she slept until 1pm! She woke up at 10 and had a bottle and then went back to bed. Sleepy head. Now just 2 1/2 hours after she woke up, she is back in bed for a nap. She has been very needy today, poor thing. She is whiny and wants to be picked up but then when I am holding her she is fussy and wants to get down. I do love the cuddly moments though.

I have been working on my "Esther" Beth Moore study and loving it! Normally I can't read or do any studying in a room that is cluttered or messy, what can I say, I am easily distracted. But now that Emersyn is napping I can either take 30 minutes and pick up toys that are just going to need picking up again at the end of the day....or I can work on my study and spend time with the Lord. I pick option 2. :)

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday. Our church is having a prayer and praise service tonight that I am bummed to miss but I gotta be a mama first!

Here's to a great week everyone!!

How to Win Your Man by Emersyn

Hi everyone! It's me, Emersyn. Last weekend my future husband Riley came over to play with me and get to know me a little better. I figure it is a good idea that we get to know each other, seeing as our mom's are planning a Fall wedding for us in 2030. I thought the visit went well and I think him and I are on the right track, even if HE doesn't know it yet. I thought I would share some of my tips with my other baby friends out there on how to win your man over, should your mother's arrange marriages for you too!

1) Men like compliments. Tell him how much you like his shoes for example.

2) Always let him feel taller and stronger then you. Riley and I aren't too far apart in height. So to make him feel taller, I simply sit down. It's just that easy ladies. Riley appears to be skeptical but don't you worry, he will warm up eventually.

3) Men like their freedom so let him run a little crazy every once in awhile. Besides, his mother will chase him for you anyways.

4) Men like to see chubby legs so wear your shortest denim mini-skirts when he is around. Wait, what Mommy?? Inappropriate?? Okay, mom says I have to scratch this one because it is "inappropriate". I don't even know what that means but I guess it's not good.

5) Gaze at your man adoringly from across the room while your friend tries to steal your sippy cup. He is worth it though.

6) Put your man on your speed dial!

7) Always be prepared for a good photo opportunity.

8) If you gently place your hand on his shoulder and he shrinks away in fear like Riley is seen doing here, don't be discouraged. Maybe "physical touch" isn't one of his love languages.

9) Always make sure your hair is done nicely (note the barrette) and that you show how good you are with babies!

10) Men like to feel needed. Here I am, pretending that my scoot scoot is broken. "Riley, I need your help to get my scoot scoot running! Can you help me handsome?"

11) Relationships are all about compromising. In this picture I initially wanted to play with these wipes. Riley was not happy about this....

....so I compromised. It's just what us ladies do.

Okay friends, I hope this gives you some insight on how to win a man of your own!

XOXO, Emersyn

Show us your life Friday- Baby Gear!

This post is all about the baby gear that we did or didn't find to be either necessary or helpful with having our first baby. Lord knows that when you walk into Babies'R'Us it can be a little overwhelming and you can DEFINITELY have too much when it comes to babies.

Here are the things that got our "thumbs up"!

1) Snap'n'Go stroller- we bought this stroller for when I was traveling to Minnesota by myself with Emersyn when she was 7 weeks. We have an "Uppa" stroller, which is fantastic. It is a spendier stroller but we got it for a KILLER deal on ebay, and I mean KILLER!!! However, I didn't want to take our higher end stroller on an airplane, where it would be trashed. Hence the "snap'n'go"! Super lightweight and easy to use. I ended up using this stroller more often then I thought I would too, especially if Emersyn was asleep in her seat when we needed to get out of the car.

2) Nikon D40-No joke. I know this isn't traditional baby gear but I think every new parent needs a good camera. We have only had professional pics taken once and I think because of that, this camera has paid for itself! We also bought a good flash for it and eventually upgraded the lens. But the lens that comes standard with the camera is fine. And it isn't that difficult to operate, just takes a little practice and learning. We have a BAZILLION pictures of Emersyn that I think are just as good as professional pics and for that I am grateful. We didn't get a video camera until a couple months ago and that is something I regret, wish we would have had it day one.

3) Boppy Pillow- Great for nursing, to use as a baby prop for picture taking :), to use to support babies as they learn to sit up, etc.

4) Hooter Hider- sell for $35 at the store but you can find patterns online to make for next to nothing. If you are nursing, this is vital!! :)

5) Jumper/Bouncer- Emersyn got her Baby Einstein Jumper for Christmas when she was 4 months old. I liked it over the excersaucer because of the jumping abilities. We did get an exersaucer for free from one of my husband's co-workers however, that we kept over at Brett's parents house. She loved the excersaucer too but I loved the jumper. As she got older, I would turn music on and she would jump to the beat. My girls got rhythm!! :)

6) Bouncy Chair/Swing- I didn't think I would need BOTH of these items but I sure ended up rethinking that as soon as my mom left when Emersyn was one month old! We used our swing downstairs and I used her bouncy chair upstairs while I showered or folded laundry. We bought the cheapest bouncy chair possible; I found the super cute and decorative bouncy chairs didn't actually bounce as much. We got our bouncy chair for $25 from Walmart. We got a Boppy swing from a neighbor that was gently used for $40. Gently used baby gear is a total score!!

7) LeapFrog "Violet"- This is probably my favorite toy that Emersyn has ever gotten. This sweet little puppy came with a USB cord to connect her to your computer so you can program her to say your little one's name. Violets sings to Emersyn, calls her by name, talks about Emersyn's favorite color, favorite animal and favorite food, all items that we programmed into her via the USB cord. It was really easy to set up and teaches Emersyn how to spell her name, how to count, etc. She was a gift from a friend for her first birthday but the toy is for ages 6months-36 months. Emersyn loves her, she is playing with her even as I type this!!

8) Medela Swing Breast Pump- I worked part time while still nursing and a good pump was very important to me. This one worked great!

Thumbs Down:

1) Wipes warmer- bought one for super cheap online, however, never really used it.

2) Diaper Genie/Champ- never used one. I think we were just undecided about it before Emersyn was born and the we just never got around to buying one. We have a trash can in her room with scented trash liners (dollar store) and we just take it out once a day or we take dirty diapers out to the trash as they happen. It just worked for us.

3) Fancy Baby Lotion- Our pediatrician swears by Vaseline and I am telling you, it works! Emersyn has pretty bad eczema at times and there isn't anything I wouldn't pay to make her more comfortable. I do love the Aveeno products but they can be more expensive. Vaseline works really well. We mainly put it on her before naps and bedtime because it can be a little greasy but it is always completely absorbed by the time she wakes up!

Well, that's my two cents! I will try to add to this list if I think of anything else.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Sick!

Ugh, I woke up with a FULL blown cold this morning!! The last two nights I haven't slept well and have had the chills but I was hoping it was just a fluke. Then, this morning I wake up and my nose is stuffed, throat is sore, and have a wheezy cough. Ugh. Usually when I get sick, I get really whiny and just want my mommy to come and take care of ME and Emersyn too. But I get the next best thing, Brett. :) He is off for the next two days and I plan on getting some good rest and sleep. I am upstairs in bed and listening to their crazy banter downstairs. Emersyn is fussing in her high chair (I imagine) and Brett was making her breakfast, singing "Oh where is my hairbrush" to keep her entertained. Hee hee.

Oh well.

Just thought I should blog about it. I feel like my blog has been an Emersyn in Hawaii shrine for the last couple of weeks but man, I had a lot of pictures to post! I plan on posting more content soon, have some recipes to post, recipes I want to try, and as I delve into my Esther Bible Study, I am sure I will have some thoughts to share in that regard as well.

In the meantime, everyone WASH YOUR HANDS!!! It seems like everyone is sick!!

Hawaiian Vacation-The End

Hi everyone! Tired of Hawaiian vacation photos yet? :) The reason for my posting of all of these is because we are going to be printing out Emersyn's first year blog book and we wanted to include these pictures and memories since they were a part of her first year celebration. Not officially, but in our minds! :)

Emersyn watching the amazing koi fish pond!

Hungry fishies!!

Emersyn and Grandpa dancing and snuggling while we waited for the koi fish feeding to begin. They feed the fish every day at 9am and again the evening. It is quite the sight to see!

Emersyn got her own little cup of food to give the fish!!

Brett fed them from his hand...I could hear them sucking the food from his palm! GROSS!!!

Emersyn enjoying the good life one last time. This was the morning that we left to head home to Portland.

"Do we really have to go home Mama? I like it here!!"

Emersyn has decided to learn to play the ukulele. We are going to nurture and encourage this new found hobby. :)

"If you're happy and you know it..."

"Could someone show me how to use this thing?!!"

Our flight home was not nearly as successful as our flight there. Emersyn was restless and only slept for about 45 minutes. We were VERY anxious to land back in Portland.

Daddy snuggling with Twin and Emersyn.

THE END!!