Sly

I just love her facial expression in this picture.  :)

She's holding a travel toothbrush holder (50 cents at CVS on clearance!)...it's her new favorite toy!

Preview

Here's a quick preview of Ri's room makeover...I spent the day with my friend Nikki - and her sweet kids - today and almost everything is ready!

I made Ri's valance...ruffle and all (with lots of help from Nikki).  I'm pretty proud of myself.

Thanks SOOO much Nikki for your help!  I couldn't have done it without you!!

More pics to come soon!! 

Buckle Up!

My car has a reminder beep when the seatbelt isn't fastened on the driver or passenger side seats. As much as I'd like to claim I was overly concerned about Suka's well-being, it just so happens she weighs enough to activate the reminder beep.

*For those of you who may be concerned, we were not in motion when this was taken.*

Homemade vs Commercial

It's no secret. I coupon. Because I coupon, I am able to find things at a much cheaper price. However, what if I could save money AND clean with products that don't have crazy ingredients I can't pronounce?  I'm interested...and I love this post: 

http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/05/homemade-vs-couponing-household-supplies/

**Don't miss out on the fabulous links at the end...lots of great info and recipes for homemade cleaners**
I'm not saying you'll never see another Mr Clean product in my house (could I really get rid of ol faithful...aka Magic Eraser?!). I'm just sayin, if it's just as cost-effective and there's an added benefit for my family, why not? I'm not gonna go and throw out everything in my house I already have. I just plan to slowly change one item at a time.

That's all.

Puttin things in perspective

I just read a blog about a young girl who went to be with Jesus a few days ago. She was abandoned in Serbia after her parents found out she had a heart condition. A couple from Texas adopted her.

I can't help but sit here in a puddle of tears and gratitude. My sweet baby is sleeping soundly in the next room, not in a hospital bed. Our days are spent reading and playing, not fighting to overcome illness.

Now experiencing the incredible love of a mother, my heart aches for mommies who see their children in pain, struggling to live, and even watch as they take their last breath.

Thankful doesn't quite sum up how I feel right now. And hopefully, in those moments I find myself ready to complain, I'll remember little girls like Chrissie.  

http://allarepreciousinhissight.blogspot.com/ 

Healthy Food and Living

I have a new favorite grocery store: Earth Fare!  As many of you know, I'm very much into couponing and have been able to save a lot of money doing so.  If stores don't take coupons (Aldi) or have a difficult coupon policy (Ingles), I don't shop there.

Recently, I started talking to a few women at my church (one who I told she needs to start a blog bc she's a wealth of great info...but she has 7 kids and no time for that so I decided I'd pass on the info she shares with me) who eat as organically as possible and have found ways to get good deals on healthier food. I mean, who doesn't wanna eat healthy foods? But I always figured it'd break the bank to do so I didn't even try. But after talking with them, I realized eating and living healthier was very doable. It all kinda started for me after Ri had a very common baby girl problem and the doctor prescribed a hormonal cream that was going to cost over $100. I knew there must be another alternative...possibly more natural and definitely cheaper. Turns out, there was - coconut oil!  That stuff is great for a lot of things but I used it for Ri and still use it occasionally at diaper changes instead of the other well-known diaper creams...works great!  I also use it on her thumb since she sucks it so much and it can get kinda raw...just a couple applications and it clears up!

I'm not, by any means, going to refuse to eat or drink anything that's not 100% certified organic or, as one lady so properly put it, "allow organic and natural things to become an idol". But if there are opportunites to eat healthier and live healthier, I'll take them!

If you have an Earth Fare near you, sign up to get their coupons via email - they're awesome...like buy organic ketchup for $1.50 and get 2 free handmade hamburger patties or buy $5 worth of items and get a free fresh pineapple. They're also currently doing a promotion to raid your pantry for unhealthy items and exchange them for healtheir choices for free - even if your item is opened and almost gone!   They also have coupons in the store near the front sometimes. Their website also sometimes has additional coupons available.  Just today, Septtro and I both got a free half wrap, chips, and soup, exchanged 2 bottles of salad dressing, cereal, and peanut butter for organic, and got 8 handmade black and blue hamburgers all for just over $10!   You can print more than one copy of their coupon and have someone else use it (Septtro in my case) or go back to the store again before the sale ends.

Also, if you're interested in healthier living in general on a budget, check out these websites (I haven't been able to look at them all myself yet) :

www.kitchenstewardship.com

www.thenourishinggourmet.com

www.passionatehomemaking.com

www.keeperofthehome.org

One last website that's great for a lot of Mommy questions is (forum-type format): www.welltellme.com

If you are aware of any other ways to eat or live healthier - without breakin the bank - please let me know!

Da-da

Ri has been saying this ALL day today - to her father's delight. :) She's said Momma over and over before but she's really starting to be more intentional about Dada.

Toofers

I'm sure gonna miss her gummy smile but havin those two lil teeth is pretty stinkin cute too.

A Year Ago...

Dear Ri,

A year ago today, we found out you were a girl!  I knew it all along. :) 

At first, I was really nervous about having a girl because I'm not very girly myself. I was unsure how I felt about the color pink invading my house; along with frills, bows, and baby dolls.  But even before you came into this world, I began to transform.  I began to embrace my own girly side even more (slightly, but more so than before...although I still think make-up is a pain in the hiny so still none for me most of the time).

Anyway, I just want you to know you are free to be girly; free to wear pink, free to play dress up, free to hate dirt, and yes, even free to do ballet if that's what your heart desires.

I love you sweet baby girl and I'm so very thankful to call you my daughter!

Momma's Day

This is my first Mothers Day. Actually, I kinda feel like it's my second - Ri was just inside my tummy last year instead of outside.

I had a lot of emotions this morning...waking up to my handsome husband and beautiful daughter: daughter, I still can't believe I have a daughter. I still can't believe God chose me to be her mom. She's such a joy!

I am overwhelmed at God's goodness and grace. And I am so very thankful that His plan is perfect.

I look forward to many more Mothers Days...and Lord-willing, more children to celebrate.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you as well!

Solids??

I am still exclusively breastfeeding Rilynn.  She just turned 7 months old.  She doesn't seem to be in need of anything else right now (no waking up at night or crying after nursing) and I quite like the availability of how she gets her meals now.  I guess I just picture starting solids as a constant cooking, mashing, blending, mixing of all these ingredients Septtro and I aren't eating and it stresses me out...big pain in the hiny.  Although I'm well aware that I'm very good at blowing things way out of proportion.  But then I started to feel guilty because I thought, "I'm holding her back!"  The pediatricians all say start solids at 6 months. But part of me just doesn't get what's so magical about 6 months and solids. I mean, what if they're doing just fine with nursing still?

So then I came across this article: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/04/feeding-babies-a-relaxed-common-sense-approach.html 

I think I'm gonna try that....AND, just take one day at a time and see how things go.

Tummy Time

This is the third time I've found her flipped over onto her tummy. I suppose sleeping this way would help her thumb stay in her mouth better.  :) 

I'll be curious to see if she continues to sleep on her tummy regularly.

What I'm Learning

- having a baby is A LOT more sanctifying than I ever imagined in so many more ways than I ever imagined

- you can never have enough baby wipes in the diaper bag

- everybody has an opinion on how kids should be raised.  I need to trust in God's sovereignty and the wisdom He gives me on decisions I make for my baby

- all babies are different

- babies are confusing

- Facebook, email, and blogs can be great for sharing Ri with friends and family...but also can take precious time away from what (or I should say, who) matters most

- Not everybody is as proud of Ri for rolling over as I am

- Mommy needs time to herself at least once a week

- emotions still linger long after the newborn stage

- once babies get to the grabby stage, give them a toy or something ELSE to grab during diaper changes

- even when I'm sitting right beside Ri, it's still possible for her to fall and bump her head

- I'm not in control...as much as I try to be

- being a stay-at-home mom isn't much like I imagined but there's nothing else I'd rather do

- ALWAYS plan for getting out of the house to take at least 10 minutes longer than expected

- I will probably cry when Ri turns a year old

- it's hard for me to feel connected at church and with God during this season of my life

- the mistakes I make as a parent are covered by God's grace

- being a parent is awesome....and there's much, much more to learn!

Here I Am...sorta

I am STILL trying to get my mobile blog back up and running from my new phone. Sometimes I really think these "smart phones" could be just a tad smarter.

Ahhhhh Spring!!!

Homemade Wipes

I've been making my own baby wipes for about 5 months now (thanks to my cousin, Katie, for tellin me about it!) and I LOVE it! Not only do I use them for diaper changes, but also to wipe her off before bed if I don't get around to a bath or even as a nice, soft tissue for my delicate nose. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner! It really comes out to be A LOT cheaper than store-bought and I like that I know exactly what's in them. Here's how I make them:

I found a 2-pack of MainStay brand plastic containers at Walmart for about $3 to store them in (any air-tight container will work).

1. Cut a paper towel (no cheap ones - I like Viva and Brawny) roll in half with knife or tool of your choice

2. Mix 1 1/2 cups of water with 2 Tblsp baby wash and 1 Tblsp baby oil

3. Pour solution over paper towels

4. Let solution soak through (might want to flip container upsidedown for a few minutes)

5. Pull out cardboard piece from middle, pull wipes from middle and presto!

Rollin Rollin Rollin!

This past Wednesday, Ri finally figured out she's in control of making herself roll over - the connection has been made!

She hasn't been much interested in rolling over...before Wednesday it had been a couple weeks and before that it had been almost a month. She's yet to roll from her back to her tummy - it's always tummy to back (I think because she prefers her back). She'll go all the way to her side from her back, but not all the way.

Anyway, it seems her mobile days are soon approaching!

Wiiiii!!!

My mom got a Wii...and then Wii Fit Plus right before we came down to the beach. Our family is, shall we say, a tad bit competitive. So when one person gets 1st place, someone else must try to defend their title.

It just so happens we had to put the Wii upstairs in our room due to lack of room or proper jacks elsewhere so Septtro and I have a slight advantage. Hehe.

Can you guess which Wii Fit game Septtro is doing? :)

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Emmory has a very important announcement!

That's right people!! Mur Mur is gonna be a big brother!! My new niece or nephew is due November 4th! Woo Hoo!!!

Look What My Nephew Can Do!!

This is oh so very exciting! He took his first steps yesterday. :) Yay Mur Mur!!

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Tongue Tied

Rilynn has discovered her tongue and it's quite hilarious. I took this video while we were on a walk. Septtro was sticking his tongue out at her and she was doing it back.

It's so fun to watch her become more and more aware of the world around her!

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Oh So True!

The Important Things

Sometimes, while trying to do all of the things I feel are so important day after day, I forget my little girl is growing up so quickly.

Sometimes it's time for me to let the laundry pile up some more, allow more dust to collect on my living room table, tend to my couponing scenarios later and, this time, not put her in front of her toys...but cuddle with my sweet baby girl.

Sometimes I need to slow down and enjoy every bit of her that I can - her smiles, her smirks, her chocolatey hair, her big brown eyes, her laughs. She's what's important. And oh how thankful I am to be her mom.

Don't Count Your Chickens...

Yep, we have chickens now. Septtro has been wanting them for a very long time now so I finally decided we should give it a shot. We got them Sunday afternoon and already had two eggs yesterday (haven't checked today). We'll be getting a rooster soon.

I must say, the idea is growing on me. I know Ri will have fun feeding them and collecting the eggs when she's older.

Suka is obsessed with them. Whenever I let her outside, she immediately runs over there and stays there. I'm not sure if it's because she wants to be their friend or if she wants to eat them - but I don't intend to try to find out so we're gonna make Suka keep her distance when we finally let them wander around the yard for a while when we're out there with them.

Two of the chickens are 5 months old - just like Ri - and two of them are 10 months old - just like Mur, my nephew. Septtro said we could name two of them after the babies and those two would receive a 'pardon'. :) What do you think we should name them?

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Visiting Great Grammy

We went to visit my mom's mom this afternoon. It was a really good visit - Ri was pretty happy and gave lots of smiles and laughs.

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Poor Puppy

Suka has always been my baby. And I was actually naive enough to think my feelings and affections wouldn't change after Rilynn was born. I still love her. She's an awesome dog. But she's definitely no longer my baby.

Now she's just another toy for Ri. At least she's tolerant and good-natured. I'm thinking if somebody was grabbing my fat rolls like that, I'd be a lil more upset than Suka appears to be.

My New Favorite Picture

Take two hundred and three...action!

I keep tryin to capture Ri talking but whenever I get the camera out and ready, she pretty much stops. On this particular try, she did, however, give me a nice surprise. :)

A Bit Overstimulated

This was about a month ago and I'm just now getting around to posting (thanks to not having Internet at home). I just thought it was too funny not to share! :)

We were at my parent's house and it was later in the evening. Before I was able to record the video, she was laughing and cooing like crazy....not so much after a while though.

Introducing.....

My sweet niece is here! Brynnen Mana'ia Sene was born on February 6th! That's her Uncle Tito holding her. We haven't been able to see her yet but should be able to sometime in the beginning of March. I can't wait to meet her!! And Ri is pretty excited about meeting her new cousin too!

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Sweet Rolls

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Open Drawer Policy

This picture is not staged. This is what I do. I leave drawers open; sometimes cabinets too but mostly drawers. I'm not quite sure why.

Day to Remember

Today was definitely filled with many emotions. I'm writing this as I sit in my aunt and uncle's house in Pennsylvania. We flew up yesterday - and buried my grandpa today. We leave tomorrow. I can't believe he's really gone. But what a joy to know that he is no longer in pain! He's not suffering. He's not worrying. He's not afraid. He's in the presence of God - and reunited with my Grandma once again.

Today is also a very special anniversary date. Exactly a year ago today, I found out I was pregnant with Rilynn. I remember it so vividly. I had taken a pregnancy test the week before. Here is my post from that day. And here is the post from a year ago today. Oh God's grace!! Oh His goodness!

Tears of joy and sorrow over the loss of my grandpa - sad he's gone but joyful to know where he is now.

Tears of joy and sorrow over remembrance of the loss of my previous baby but joy in remembering the day we found out He created a new life - one that's peacefully sleeping in the room down the hall.

My heart hurts - yet is full. As we sang today at the funeral, "It is well with my soul"

Dear Mommy's Blogger friends:

Hi everybody! It's me - Ri. I like my thumb. It's very yummy. Sometimes Suka sniffs my head. Just wait until I can pull her ears. And....oh...um....anyway, I just wanted everybody to know that Mommy misses being able to catch up with everybody on their blogs like she used to. We don't have Internet at home and when we go to Grammy's house, there's already so much email and such to go through.

Anyway, I think she'd like it if she knew you all knew she still thinks about you all a lot and just because she may not get around to reading your blogs as much or commenting on posts, you're still her buddies.

Maybe soon we'll get Internet somehow.

Mommy sends her love.

Coos and smiles,
Rilynn

Real Muffin Tops

My mom and Shawna and I got together to bake muffins - LOTS of muffins. I wanted to have somethin quick to eat in the morning because I was averaging an 11:00 breakfast time. I think I should be set for a while. :)

We have cranberry oatmeal, cranberry orange, banana oat, and coffe chocolate chip muffins.

I can't wait to try them all!

Cooking with Tears

This happens EVERY time I cut an onion. I know there are ways to help this not happen, but I always seem to want the quickest way and the quickest way always ends in tears.

I've even gotten creative and worn sunglasses while chopping in hopes that it would shield my precious eyes. The only thing that did was make it harder to see. And I think I might have scared Suka a little.

I'm thinking this is a good excuse for me to ask Septtro to be the official onion chopper of the house. :)

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Attention Hog

I was trying to capture some cute moments of Ri the other day - but Suka thought she deserved some attention too. :)

Water Logged

Water has become my new drink of choice. I have always had water with meals, but it's reached a new level. I can't get enough. Septtro got me that blue water bottle for Christmas because even when running errands or while at church, I need water.

Don't misunderstand...I'm not severely dehydrated now do I have diabetes. I just now drink water ALL the time now - partly, I believe, because I was told to drink a lot of fluids while nursing and I'm paranoid about my milk supply.

I even drink water with my Oreos. I know - gross...but healthier right?

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Tummy Time is Exhausting!

Baby's First Bowl Week

Ri sure does love her television...especially football - which is good considering her daddy is a football coach. She seriously sits like this for 30-45 minutes; couch potato or just a sports fanatic? I guess only time will tell. :)

Back to where I started

Well, I had a pretty good run I think. My nails got even longer since my last picture. But then I broke a nail (for the first time ever in my life), had somethin slip between my nail and skin to make it bleed, caught my nails on various objects on numerous occasions...and then...we went to Columbus Georgia to visit Septtro's family this past weekend. It was about 4 hours in the car - with no baby to occupy my hands.

My nails in this picture are still longer than normal. But now I've experienced the pleasure of biting again.

I suppose I may never have really long nails. And I must say, after all that can go wrong with having long nails, I'm pretty okay with that.

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Bye Bye Christmas

'What?! Christmas is over??!'

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas. Knowing Him is the greatest gift of all!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We've decided to make it a family tradition to bake Jesus a happy birthday cake - in this case, it's a happy birthday pie (apple!). Ri is pretty excited to get started...I told her she could lick the bowl. ;)

Merry Christmas!

Couch Potato

'You take this remote from me and I'll give you a knuckle sammich!'

Yes, she has discovered the television. This is nice now because she's distracted when I need her to be. But I know in the future, this could be bad news.

Fat Fingers

I don't remember exactly when I took my wedding rings off during my pregnancy. I think it was shortly after the 20-week mark.

I figured by now, my rings would fit again. Oh I can shove them on my finger, but they look like they're choking the life right out of my poor ring finger. And getting them off, well that's a fun game.

I could get them resized for free under our warranty, but I'm a lil nervous as soon as I do, my fingers will get skinny again and they'll be too big. You know - Murphy's Law. Or maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe they'll never be the size they used to be.

I miss my rings - they're the only jewelry I normally wear (even though I quite like jewelry...I guess I'm just kinda picky).

Sooooo....what's a girl to do??!

Suuuuu-per Dreams

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Nail Biter

I've always been a nail biter...a bad one - we're talkin fingers tips that look like space men with their pinkish-redish space hats on.

Both my friends and family have tried to help me quit. I've tried that nasty tasting stuff you paint on your nails. I've been bribed with presents and money. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. It wasn't so much I didn't have the self-control (although I do lack in that area), it was more that I would do it without even realizing it - when I was nervous, when I was bored, basically whenever my hands weren't busy doing something else, they were in my mouth - gettin their nails chewed off.

I know it's a nasty habit. I tried to stop. But it wasn't until something else - or shall I say, someONE else - diverted my attention that I noticed, hey, I can scratch my arm without giving myself a brush burn.

All this time, all I had to do was have a baby to stop biting my nails. Man, why didn't anybody suggest that earlier??! :)

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Drug Stores Rock!

I went out to get a few things at one of my favorite drug stores this morning - Rite Aid. I got everything pictured for $0.63!

It's really not that hard to do. Basically, I used coupons from the Sunday paper and online, used a single rebate check I got last month at Rite Aid from qualifying purchases, and paired it all with their sales...giving me a lot for basically nothing. Plus, I qualified for more money via single check rebate (about $20 worth).

If you live in the South, check out www.southernsavers.com and get started shoppin at drug stores! I promise it's the best natural high you'll get! ;)

Rilynn's Favorite Sleeping Position

Rilynn - 13 weeks in my tummy.

Rilynn - 2 weeks old

Rilynn - 2 1/2 weeks old

Rilynn - 3 weeks old (her 1st walk!)

Rilynn - 4 1/2 weeks

Rilynn - 6 weeks old

Rilynn - 6 1/2 weeks old

Wonder how long she'll enjoy this sleeping position. :)

Watching Over

I love the ultimate crib sheet in this picture - somebody had it embroidered with a verse. I don't know if you can read what it is but it says "The One who watches over you neither slumbers nor sleeps" - Psalm 121:4

As I stood over Rilynn taking this picture, I was reminded of how she lies in her crib and has no idea that I'm so close. When I let her cry for a few minutes and she begins to flail her legs and arms, I'm right there, standing over her, watching. Yet she's so unaware of my presence.

Sometimes I just have to grin because she's fine - she just doesn't know it. All of her basic needs are met. She's fed, she's warm, she's in a safe place.

How many times am I just like Rilynn? I'm flailing my arms; upset at my circumstances. But my heavenly Father is right there...so close. Yet I'm so unaware - I'm too busy being upset at the present circumstances - even though my basic needs are met.

I gotta wonder if He, too, might grin at my response. "Oh child, I'm right here. Just look up."