Henry is 6 months

It is going by so much faster, having two.
We had a big day. Stonewater had it's first Sunday service at Texana Plaza, and I hear there were around 1600 people there; that is the highest attendance ever, for a "non holiday"! This month is the marriage series which is my fave that Jeremy preaches on. We had a good visit with Henry's WeeSchool teacher, then headed to the Rodeo in Fort Worth. Today was Parker County day, and Uncle Justin rode with the Sheriff's Posse in the Grand Entrance. Henry seemed to really enjoy all the activity, and diligently watched the sport (OK, when he wasn't flirting with the girls around us). Pierce was an angel, stayed in his seat calmly and had fun watching the show. "Got bucked off" is one of his favorite sayings, and he got to use that one a lot today. It probably paid off that there weren't any rowdy kids for him to feed off of, but he truly loves all things cow/ horse related, so he was elated to be going to The Rodeo! God bless him, his only request today was for ice cream (after seeing a snow cone), not any of the glow stick paraphernalia that they parade up and down the aisles. We promised him ice cream after the show, but couldn't find any- but he scored a skewer of chocolate covered strawberries, so I'd say he really came out ahead :)


Tutu bought him a lasso later, so he will surely love that new toy ("cow ropes" are a favorite past time, thought they are typically plastic pump tubing or sewing tape measurers). After the exhibits, we had Uncle Julio's with Tutu and Pa, and the boys. We missed the Superbowl, but nobody minded, LOL.
Regardless, it was a fun way to celebrate his six month birth day month (we laugh not knowing what to call these things...). He's just outgrown his car seat (22 pounds) and is sitting upright with a little support from us. He's an ok eater with rice cereal (once a day). Pierce and him love to hold hands, and he giggles and grins at Pierce's antics. Henry loves to be worn in baby wraps and has fallen asleep on me several times- I love that!!! He's very chill, until he's hungry/ tired/ gas pains, in which case you will certainly know about it! If a TV is on, he loves to watch it (I hate to admit), but he is fascinated by any kind of flashing light activity or toy. Henry started WeeSchool one day a week, and is having fun with some little friends his age, and his teacher seems very loving. We're really blessed to have two boys who are so sweet, friendly and low maintenence. Plus, they are just cool. I'm not biased or anything :P

Henry started cereal today

Not my favorite milestone, but I suppose as far as first cereal experiences are concerned, it was a success.

When we were fininshed, Pierce wanted a turn. That was pretty funny.

New addition to our family

With absolutely no prompting, when people would ask Pierce what he wanted for Christmas, he always replied, "big cow!". Clearly this was not the standard answer of a 2 year old. Santa did deliver a big cow at the foot of the fireplace (and a baby cow in his stocking), much to Pierce's delight. For a good week or two, I'd find a little bowl of water out in front of him too, as Pierce was diligent about keeping his cow hydrated. And at given time I can find my round hot-pads from the kitchen, strewn throughout the house, as Pierce has given the cow a "hay bale" and if a shrink wrapped package of diapers is missing, inevitably it is at the foot of the cow acting as "feed sack".

All foreshadowing! Shortly after New Year's, Ryan asked me how I'd feel about taking in a baby calf, and bottle feeding it. Now I had been with him a couple of times when we were dating, as he bottle fed a baby for his best friend Craig; It wasn't bad, really. With each year of marriage I am getting a little more savvy though, and know the right questions to ask, after such propositions are presented. "How much is this going to cost us? Where is the calf going to go, and what's THAT going to cost us? How many times per day does it have to be fed and how many of those feedings am I responsible for? and How long is this calf going to be on the bottle?" PS- I remember Jodi talking about the babies keeping her up at night, when they were pulled from their mamas....so I knew there would be a lot of crying involved, to boot! All of his answers were within reason, and there was the most important fact of all...our toddler is COW CRAZY!! So of course, I agreed to it.

This past Sunday was the day of adoption. After church, Ryan headed out to the Bar Oak Ranch, to pick up our new baby! This calf was a twin, perfectly healthy and had been nursing just fine, but apparently you get a better sized cow if there's only one on the momma, so this one needed to go.

Without further ado...

Insert your own caption here....

Becoming friends.

Want to know the really cool thing about this whole adventure? The calf was born on Christmas Eve!

Henry is 3 months today

I hope to add to this, definitely with some pictures too. This week he weighed 17 lbs and is a good 26 inches long. The MSPI diet has made a huge difference when he eats, but he still screams sometimes (but I'm pretty sure it's gas pain, not protein intolerance). We go for a 6 week follow up with GI on Wednesday.

In the last couple of weeks he's been having longer wakeful periods, laughing, tracking objects, and now reaching for things. He's got a gorgeous bow-shaped mouth and such a friendly smile. Seriously he will melt your heart when he flashes you a grin. People still can't figure out who he looks like, but is resembling Pierce more as he gets older. Sadly these days are flying by~ I'm trying so hard to have time with just the two of us, to treasure these fleeting days.

BLACK(berry) Tuesday....

Worst day I've had in a while. What has brought me such joy, and sanity has wrecked my day. I learned on my way to Pierce's 1st denist appointment, that Ryan couldn't hear me on my cel. This wasn't they "married & I've tuned out my wife deaf", but literally couldn't hear me. We took advantage of being in "the city" to stop by the AT&T store, and knew we were prob w/in a day of the 1 yr warranty. That just isn't how things typically work for us, LOL!

Here's were it turns bad. The guy is "troubleshooting" and asks if he can delete yesterdays missed calls to free up space, thinking it's a memory issue. It wasn't (duh!), and it seems that he deleted EVERY email and text on my phone! I didn't realize this until later. He decides it's a broken microphone, and sends us to another location for replacement. While waiting there, I see my missing info. OH NO! All kinds of sentimental baby milestones I had intended for the kids books~ GONE! I've got some filled out of course, but both books aren't fully up to date.

There, they tell me they can transfer most of my data (not emails, but thanks to the 1st guy, they're gone). We go to lunch while they work. On my way home, I realize my calendar did not transfer (which is totally my brain~ when to mail bills, pick up kids, appointments, etc!!) and I've lost my "notepad" feature of shopping, to do lists, etc. I'm feeling especially sick at this point. THEN I realize, that I never deleted my info, and just handed my phone off to total strangers, with all kinds of passwords and sensitive info saved, that could be very bad news. And to top it off, I still don't know how to sync my BB to Mac, or if it is even possible :(

All afternoon I've been looking for the silver lining.

I decided to do a silly bible technique, that one of the girls described last time at our women's book study. She just asks God what he wants her to know, and blindly opens the bible to a passage and starts reading.

Well, here's what God told me:

Psalm 104: 27-30

They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied. But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.

I think this was a 'tap on the shoulder' to be a little more dependent on Him, and to remember that my Blackberry is just a scheduler of worldly things. What do you think?

I'm Thankful for...

the way Pierce calls me "momma".... it's so sweet. I'm blessed to be needed by him, and able to provide for his needs. 11/1/09

Ryan coming home in a great mood, and he had a much needed great day at work! I love it when he comes home with a smile on his face, song in his heart, and pep in his step. (shout out to Mitch, LOL) 11/2/09

having a husband that altruistically wants me to get out of the house, have girl time, and do things for myself. That's a great balance for this homebody. 11/3/09

my family, especially parents, brother and in-laws. They are just so "normal" with just enough quirky traits to keep 'em interesting! I'm extra thankful that we all get along well, without much *drama* 11/4/09

my children's good health, from pregnancy to present. What a blessing that so many of us take for granted, myself included of course.... 11/5/09

our church. I'm so thankful God led us to Stonewater, a place that is centered around His word, and that encourages personal growth and an authentic and relationship with Him. The timing was perfect, with us starting our marriage and having children. 11/6/09

my grandparents. Even though I don't see them as often as I should, I do feel so fortunate to have them in mine and my kids lives. 11/7/09

our military. What they do is such a gift. Their bravery and sacrifice, and that of their families, makes me so proud of our country. Thank you :)

businesses that value customer service. Sadly it's becoming more of the exception than the norm, but it just brightens my day when someone seems to care. 11/9/09

these beautiful fall days. I think the high today will be 75, and it's sunny. Great zoo weather! 11/10/09

God's perfect timing. 11/11/09

having a husband that helps with the kids and who is a support for me. I truly can not imagine how "single parents" do it. It is so hard to get through 1 day with him out of town, and I am immediately reminded of the million ways I count on him for help with them boys and simply how he keeps my sanity in check. He such a good spiritual leader, dad, and friend. 11/12/09

my girlfriends. I'm so glad we have that connection that transcends time. I can always count on them for a good laugh, a good time, and they've got their heads on straight, unlike so many crazy girls out there, LOL! 11/13/09

The video baby monitor. 11/14/09

girls that choose life. 11/15/09

having an open-minded husband. 11/16/09

always having at least one option, but often many, when it comes to making holiday plans. 11/17/09

getting a diagnosis for the MSPI and for the dramatic difference it has made in our lives... and for the prayers to help me stick to the diet :P 11/18/09

the Brazos Pregnancy Center- all the good work they do to save babies, and for the opportunity to go to their annual fundraiser....it's always a lovely evening! 11/19/09

our house, that we don't deserve, but we love! 11/20/09

Jana, my super-sweet girlfriend that loves my babies and is the best sitter a girl could ever wish for! 11/21/09

pumpkin (shape not flavor) hummus

We had our playgroup Halloween party today, and everyone was suppose to bring a holiday side or dessert. Naturally, I waited until the last minute, thinking I'd just take hummus (since it's one of the few things on my MSP-free diet). As I was getting ready, I thought, "wonder if I could shape it like a pumpkin? After all, it IS orange....) Well, it totally worked. I made my favorite red pepper hummus, and put it on a heavy duty white cardbord plate (so I could trash it afterward, rather than carry it back home). Next, I put dried parsley flakes on the stem. It was thick enough that I could make it 3-D basically, but it still needed a little more orange. I put a little hummus in a snack size zipper bag with a couple drops of red and yellow food coloring, mixed it in bag, snipped the corner, then "drew" on the pumpkin lines. How easy is that?!? Plus, I think it turned out pretty cute, especially for a 5 minute meal. Right before serving, I surrounded the plate with broken up Wheat Thins tuscan herb flatbread. I'm so thankful that it all actually worked last minute, LOL!