Punctuation Matters

We all know that punctuation matters. I'll start by saying that I'm a bit of a stickler for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. That's not to say that I'm correct about it, because I most definitely am not...but it is a pet peeve to read an article/facebook status/blog/etc. and see grammatical errors. Because if an error jumps out at me, then I feel like there's no excuse for it not to have been caught by the editor (for the pro publications, at least.). Right?

A few pet peeves:

• In pictures on facebook, saying "so-and-so and I" - it should be "so-and-so and me." Google it. You'll see.
• Than vs. then - it's really not that hard, is it?
• Want vs. won't - seriously? Do I really have to go there? Apparently I do.
• Improper use of the dash ( - )...I think I use it improperly, but the way I use it makes a heck of a lot more sense than they way I see it done in magazines and books. 
• Excessive comma and quotation usage. Oh my, don't even get me started on this one!
• Then there are the ones that everyone hates: they're, there, their; it's, its; who's, whose.
• And the commonly misused words: loose vs. lose; advice vs. advise; accept vs. except; effect vs. affect; sale vs. sell; you get the picture. 

Okay, that's enough. I didn't even want to get into all of that. I really just wanted to tell you this little funny for the day...it's the reason that I started this quirky little post in the first place.

I sent Marc a text today in response to him asking what I was doing and said : I'm getting ready to leave u

About 20 minutes after I sent that, I checked to see if he'd responded. Then I re-read my post and it made me laugh out loud. What it should have said was: I'm getting ready to leave. U?

I hope you get at least little smirk from it, cause I got a pretty big laugh! :)

Baby Jesus

In light of Christmas and having a baby myself, I wonder about the life of baby Jesus. My sweet angel woke up several times last night all stopped up with another winter cold. How many colds did baby Jesus get? And I can just imagine how heart-broken Mary must have felt cuddling her sweet son, who just so happened to be the Savior of the world, when he did get sick! I wonder what he must have looked like crawling, and how excited His parents were when He took His first sweet steps. I wonder if He was shy when meeting strangers at 9 months, and how well He played with other babies. I wonder if He sucked His thumb and if his teeth grew in straight. I wonder what his first solid food was, and if he liked to eat his veggies. I wonder if he hated having his diaper changed and would try to crawl away at every attempt (I also wonder if they even had diapers? I mean, what did they do back in the day?) I wonder if he liked to scream really loud, and whether or not he liked to be held and cuddled, and how much he weighed when he was born, and if he slept through the night and took good naps during the day, and how many times Mary kissed his sweet chubby cheeks and rubbed his soft baby skin.

It is completely sobering to know that Jesus was 100% human. Mary had the same unconditional and overwhelming motherly love for Him as I do for Carson. And how much pressure/privilege did she feel raising Jesus, who also happens to be 100% God? Wow.

Thank you, Father, for loving me so much that You sent your only begotten Son, that I might not die, but have life everlasting in eternity with You. What a blessing. The best Christmas gift I've ever received.

Wake UP!

Today's COD:

Sometimes I'm me. But then other times, I'm aware that I'm me. It's really weird. Tonight while rocking a sick (?) baby it dawned on me that I am me and I am living my life. It's me sitting in this chair rocking this child. And it's not just any child, he's MY child. And you know what else? I'm married! And living in our very own house. And the master bedroom is ours! You may not know what this is all about - but have you ever looked at your life from the outside-in and wondered how you ever got there? It's like 13 year old Elizabeth is looking through the window at 28 year old Elizabeth in disbelief.

Veggie Time!

I've been having trouble getting Carson to eat veggies that he previously loved since I started serving them in chunks instead of puree. Well, last night at the urging of my mother, I put them back in the food processor and didn't quite puree them, but got them into a sort of veggie paste. He ate them right up! Yay! He also drank from his sippy cup and tried some yogurt this morning. :)

But this post isn't really about that. I don't eat enough veggies. Do you? Well my aunt Lucy (and all of my mother's side of the family, really) is a health nut. She posted something on FB one day about a "green smoothie". I was super skeptical at first, but I checked out this website and decided I would give it a shot. Before I tried it, I told Amanda about it - and she was immediately on board. In fact, she had the stuff at home so she made one pretty much straight away. She called me and told me how good it was. Hm, maybe I should go ahead and try it then. Amanda also made it sound easier to make than going out and buying bunches of different green veggies, she just opened a bag of spinach for salad and dumped it in. Okay so here's the recipe that she and I adapted:

A bag of fresh spinach, 3 bananas, 3 small fuji apples (cored and chopped, peel on), and I used OJ, Amanda said she uses whatever liquid she thought would be good: green tea, water, apple juice, etc.

Ladies and gents, let me tell you...this smoothie tastes like a banana, oj, apple smoothie. NOT AT ALL LIKE spinach!!  And if you don't know about the nutrients found in spinach, you should check out these websites: Wholesome Baby Food, Self Nutrition Data, and Wikipedia.

Seriously - go now - try one. I'll wait. And once you do, leave me a comment and tell me how yummy yours is. :)

C.O.D.

I'm starting a new segment on this blog. It's called "Crazy of the Day" or C.O.D. I'm pretty random. I mean, really really super random. Every day while showering, I am left alone with my random thoughts. So, I'll try each day to share at least one random thought with you. And I want your feedback...sometimes it will be a question, or maybe a dream, and even just an observation of randomness. For instance, one day I might ask you how on earth a company could manufacture and sell an umberella for less than what my mascara costs. I mean, really?

Today's COD happens to be a dream. I think it stems from our fun night at the RMH. Here goes: I was sleeping and I awoke on the operating table. Marc was beside me and very happy - they had just delivered our second child via c-section. The baby was full term, yet I never knew I was pregnant...I never gained weight, got sick, had weird cravings, went to the check-ups, took prenatals. All of this confusion was going through my head when Marc told me our little girl was here. What would we even name her? Flash-forward (how dreams often do) and Paige was there. I looked at her with the most serious face and asked her to pinch me because I was certain I was dreaming. She took my shoulders and looked me square in the eye and said, "No sweetie, this is not a dream. This is your life, you have another baby."

You lied, Paige. It was in fact a dream. I can't believe you would dream-lie to me like that. I was fully prepared to wake myself up until you told me it was real life. There it is, folks, today's COD. See, I told you it was random.

Last night we cooked for the folks staying at the RMH. It was so very fun! We got to do our Christmas dinner and share it with some very nice people who are going through a tough time. Most of those that I spoke with had premies and were waiting on weight gain, lung development, etc so they could take their precious little ones home. The kids especially loved the cupcakes!

 Aren't these adorable reindeer cupcakes? Super easy to make if you want the idea for your kiddos.

The sign the RMH put up for us. Isn't it cute? We fall under the "& friends" category. :)

I apologize for the poor quality of the iPhone photo.  Amanda, Jennifer, Wendy, Paige and me.

Our handsome men, aka the cleanup crew. They were so awesome. Scott, Josh, and Marc.

I love this man more than anything else in this entire world! Ladies: back off!

Yep, we had a really good time. Oh, and I want that kitchen! 

A random quote to end this post:

"I guess that's the real circle of life: your parents faked their way through it, you fake your way through it, and...hopefully you don't raise a serial killer." -Phil Dunfee, Modern Family

More Protests

It seems the more I clean, the more our stuff protests. The water heater needs a new element. The vacuum cleaner is broken and going into the repair shop today. The refrigerator is too cold (is that even possible, you ask...I say to you that when I come home to an entire gallon of milk frozen into a solid block, yes, yes it is possible in deed.) The washing machine pipe is backing up water and overflowing behind the washer and into the kitchen sink. Sheesh.

On the upside, as a followup to yesterday's post: I called the Midtown Lodge in Gatlinburg and they have my pump and are shipping it back to me free of charge!! I love that place :) Back to cleaning. Lots to do today.

Finally!

Whew!

What a busy last couple of weeks. It's not slowing down any time soon, but I figured if I don't blog now, the next time I update it'll be so flipping long that no one will read it!

Tonight, I'm sitting by the fire with my unbelievably handsome husband sipping hot chocolate and trying to recover from an exciting weekend with my family in Gatlinburg. Some fun facts about our trip: Carson started crawling on his knees while he was playing with cousin Cole (who just adores "baby Carson")...they are so cute together! Carson rode the carousel in Ober Gatlinburg (and in Birmingham at the Galleria while visiting Aunt Robin) and just went crazy over it. We got to drive through snow on our way home and it was gorgeous! We wasted loads of money ordering real food for C to try - most of which he did NOT like. Not sure how to get him to eat his veggies - tips? I think I left my $150 pump at the hotel which will REALLY bum me out!!!

There is so much more I wanted to tell you about our trip but the hot chocolate is clouding my memories.

Tonight we met the gorgeous twins of our dear friends the Jameses. New babies are always so sweet, but we never experienced a LITTLE new baby, since C arrived as a 3 month old at 10 lbs 12 oz. Oh, and another thing we discovered in G'burg and proved further tonight: Carson is SUPER jealous of mommy holding anyone else! He goes crazy...what are we gonna do when we're ready to have another little one? Maybe he'll grow out of it :/  Anyway, Jaley and Jillian, you are beautiful and C will have a hard time picking between the two of you.

Tomorrow night we'll be cooking for the Ronald McDonald House. Every year we get together for a Christmas dinner with Paige & Josh and Amanda & Scott. Two years ago we spent $40 per couple or more at Bass Pro and had a decent meal, but knew we could do much better cooking on our own. So last year we spent about $35 pc and had steaks, shrimp, scallops, and lots of other scrumptious food. So this year, instead of spending $100 on ourselves, we're using that money to cook for others. We still get the fun time together as friends, but we get to give back in a great way too. Thanks for the awesome idea Japanda!!

Oh, and tomorrow Marc has to get a tooth fixed that he chipped on a sweet tart in G'burg. How does one even begin to do that? Okay, gotta go enjoy this fire and this man. ;)

Vacation Time!

We have been on the go non-stop since about 7:00 a.m. last Friday. And even moreso since yesterday. I can't wait to share with you, sweet blogger friends, upon our return. I'll show you Carson's first time meeting Santa, Hayden's first birthday (my great-nephew), Carson's introduction to solid foods, Carson's first Thanksgiving, and Carson's first (of many to come!) Gatlinburg trips. I can't wait...and your anticipation keeps me going ;)

Now, a prayer request. My mom has been dealing with some vocal issues for about 3-4 (?) years now. It started with "laryngitis" that revealed a polyp on her vocal cords. (I put that in quotes because who knows if that's what it actually was to begin with.) So she had surgery to remove the polyp...but very soon, it returned. So her doc in P'cola sent her to a specialist in Atlanta - Dr. Michael Johns at Emory University Clinic.  -Side note: I can't say enough good things about Dr. J, and I'll just leave it at that.-  Three years -or more- and 7 surgeries later, this thing that they now call a benign granuloma keeps coming back. And each time it returns with greater vengence. Dr. Johns is pretty much the best there is; he's seen the likes of Cold Play, Lauren Hill, and many other big name superstars that use their voice as a way of life. And he has NEVER seen anything like this. He's baffled, doesn't know how to answer questions, doesn't know what to do, doesn't know how to treat it. We're driving back and forth to Atlanta about once or twice every month, and nothing seems to be working. It's a toll on emotions, cars, bank accounts, backs and everything else. If I'm feeling exhausted over this, I can't imagine what my mom must be feeling. So won't you join me in prayer over this? I would very much appreciate it!!

Tuesday

I am especially thankful for all of the blessings in my life. I can't begin to even describe all He has given my family and me. Just thought I'd share that.

Today has been a super-duper-uper-schmooper busy day of cleaning around here. I went to Atlanta yesterday, so floors were pushed to today. We're leaving tomorrow for Gatlinburg by way of a stop in B'ham to see Marc's sister, so the washing and thorough cleaning all had to be done today as well. So four cleaning days in one, plus packing and trying to keep Carson quiet so Marc could sleep. (Side note: C has started screaming. It is the most shrill, loud, annoying scream in the world. But at the same time, it's absolutely ADORABLE. He's not doing it because he's upset, he's just screaming. Marc's parents say this is what he used to do and that it should stop when C starts talking. Please start talking soon!) So, clean, clean, clean, wash, pack, shop for snacks, and clean. That's been my day. (Okay, this was typed Tuesday).

It's also been a crazy busy weekend, and it won't slow down til after Christmas - Father, grant me rest during these busy days. More to come soon.

Oh Holy Night

Well, here it is. The card we have chosen. Thank you for all of your help in the last post...we were going to choose #1, but our offer was only for 5x7 cards, so we went back to the drawing board. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas.

Oh Holy Night Religious Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

A HUGE thank you to Shutterfly for giving me 50 free Christmas cards for blogging about them. You can get this discount too, just check out this link.

Also, major thanks to All Heart Photography for consistently providing excellent pictures for our family to use! Your prices, service, and quality are all top of the line and I will certainly recommend you to everyone I know. :)

I'm so happy with these cards...if you would like a copy of our Christmas card, please send me your address through facebook.

Our First Time

There is a first time for everything. The first kiss with your soulmate, buying your first house, holding your newborn for the first time. Well, Marc and I have never done it before, but that's all about to change. This will be our first year to send Christmas cards. Oh, I've always wanted to, but I've never had the motivation, the will, the money...but I can't wait to address those envelopes and adhere a stamp in the upper right corner of the envelope.

On that note, oh my goodness at the selection of cards available!! I'll be using Shutterfly - my absolute favorite photo-keepsake-making website available. I've tried other sites. I've spent time uploading photos, trying to create books, cards, memories - but they all fail me. Never have I ordered anything from another site, because they just don't hold a candle to Shutterfly.

I need your help! Of course I want our first time to be magical! Who doesn't, right? With the plethera of choices available, what's a girl to do? Here's our options:

1) A classic look, 5x5 stationary card. I like this simplistic style, and our photo would fit perfectly. 

2) How stinkin' cute is this one? Picture aside, I love that font on the merry christmas. 

 3) Another awesome font/writing style, and this one can hold more than just one pick. 

 4) Then there's the fold-over card, and I LOVE what this says on the front.

 5) That merry christmas...freaking awesome!

 6) Then there's this little gem. I do love a full bleed card. (Let's pretend that's what you call it when the picture takes up the whole page, k?)

Guys, I didn't even get past page 2 and I've already got 6 cards picked out!!! The selection Shutterfly offers is outstanding. Again I ask, what's a girl to do?! If you wanna see more options for me (cause I know you wanna spend your time picking out MY Christmas cards, right?) you can check out the Christmas cards and holiday cards from Shutterfly.

And stay tuned, cause Carson's birthday is just around the corner, and I'll be checking out these birthday invites from Shutterfly - and I know I'll need your help again! Please comment on this post and let me know what you like best. I'll be using a pic from my previous post, so be sure to check that out as well. Can't wait to read your suggestions!

Family Christmas Pictures

I'm taking a break from bleach-cleaning the grout in my tile to tell you about someone amazing. The reason for my floors being neglected on Monday was that we had our family Christmas pictures done. These doubled as Carson's 9 month shots too. When I was pregnant with C, we wanted some of those fun belly shots you see everywhere. So we researched different photographers and narrowed our search to All Heart Photography. Once Carson arrived, we chose their baby package, which includes 4 sessions in the first year (or 15 months, I think) for a low price. Boy are we glad we chose them!!! Here, let me show you why Brittany Mothershead is a fabulous photographer:

I LOVE this picture:

My baby is growing up and getting so big!!

Look at those green eyes...Brittany is the only person who's been able to capture them. :)

In this one you can see the "shadows" of those sweet little teeth up top.

And, my favorite!! Shout out to my Aunt Lucy for her topiary that we've had for the last few Christmases; doesn't it just help make this photo fabulous?!

In case these pictures don't tell you just how much we love working with All Heart, let me give you some more facts. I've worked alongside Brittany for more than just our baby shots, and I've recommended her to several friends and even businesses - and all have returned with nothing but wonderful things to say. The quality of the work, the flexibility in the schedule, the price, the ability to make my *sometimes ornery* child smile - all reasons why I highly recommend Brittany and All Heart. Now for the info. You can reach Brittany through facebook at All Heart Photography, through her website, on the phone at 251.463.2027, or email her at info (at) allheartphotography (dot) com.

Disclaimer: This post expresses my opinions alone of All Heart Photography. I was not paid to, asked, or in any way compensated for sharing this information with you. I just want you to know how great Brittany and All Heart are! :)