Wow - I can't believe how fast summer is flying by us! I suppose that's one of my least favorite things about Seattle - the LONG rainy season and the SHORT summer... And we have kept very busy with many things, especially with growing and developing our photography business - Rich Imaging. We are trying to develop our branding and our "look" as well as doing as many sessions as we can fit in to expand our experience and portfolio. Our next task is to write a business plan and start marketing! It's a lot of work, but Mark's dream is to do this full-time and not have to work an 8-5 job, so we have to make it a priority.
Also, I am working on developing my own business! I am still trying to come up with a name, which is kinda frustrating, but my hope and plan is to someday teach classes in natural fertility awareness, healthy pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and maybe early baby care. I also want to be available as a doula for birth and postpartum as well as an in-home lactation consultant. This is a lifelong career path for me that I plan on taking very slowly and only doing as much as I can while still retaining a good relationship with my kids. We're still planning on homeschooling too! I know, it probably sounds crazy, but I really have a passion for helping women achieve healthier births and imparting knowlege to help them make good decisions about their bodies. Anyway, the first step for me was taking the teacher training for The Bradley Method of natural childbirth. I did it this past weekend - a four-day long workshop - and now I am provisionally certified to teach classes! I'm excited! Now I just need some students... so if anyone knows someone interested in really inexpensive childbirth classes... send 'em my way!
Showing posts with label Our Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Family. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Cute Pics of the Kiddos!
We are enjoying the summer immensely and trying to take advantage of every beautiful day! The kids are happy and really starting to enjoy their relationship and they're growing up so fast!!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
As I have developed and matured as a mom over the past few years, I have become more firm in my belief in Attachment Parenting (AP). AP is practiced in many ways, including child-led-feeding (breastfeeding if at all possible), co-sleeping, babywearing, gentle discipline, and the belief in a baby's cry. This last topic is the one I am writing about tonight. It breaks my heart that moms all over the country are fooled into believing that it is somehow healthy for their infant to be left to cry. This is typically based on an ignorant belief that an infant is trying to "manipulate" her parents. However, this theory is flawed because obviously the cry is the only method of communication that a baby has. Even until a child is 2-3 years old, their primary method of communication is crying, especially when something is wrong. To punish a child for trying to communicate with her parents is so very wrong, and can only result in a child who has lost trust in her parents to meet her needs with love.
Below I have pasted an article that is the summary of much research in the effects and dangers of letting a baby "cry-it-out." Here is the original link for reference: http://drbenkim.com/articles-attachment-parenting.html
Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
By Margaret Chuong-Kim on March 22, 2005
Among parents of infants these days, there is constant debate about how to respond to a baby's cries. On one hand, there are proponents of the "cry it out" method, where the baby is left alone to cry in the hopes that he or she will eventually stop. On the other hand, there are the "attachment parents" who respond immediately to their crying babies and attempt to soothe them using various methods including holding and cuddling. While the cry-it-out method (CIO) has been popular in previous years, attachment parenting (AP) is gaining a foothold among new parents today. Results of studies in psychology indicate the AP approach to crying is most likely to result in an emotionally and physically healthy child.
Attachment theory originated in the late 1960s when psychologist John Bowlby postulated that a warm, intimate relationship between caregiver and infant is necessary for optimal health as well as for basic survival. As such, each individual is born well-equipped with reflexes and instincts for interacting with their primary caregiver, which is often times the mother. For example, infants quickly learn to recognize and prefer both their mother's voice and smell. As babies develop some locomotor control they display their desire to be close to their caregivers by reaching toward their mother or father to be picked up or by crawling toward them. From an evolutionary perspective, these behaviours have survival value. Babies who lack such attachment behaviours will stray from their caregivers and are more likely to get lost, attacked, and perish. An infant's cry is also intended to increase the likelihood of its survival, as a mother's instinct is usually to go to her child at the first sign of distress.
We live in an age where we can know that the baby is safe in another room, despite the loudness of his cries. Does this mean we should leave babies to cry on their own? CIO proponents often advise that babies left to cry will eventually stop, and the duration of future crying bouts will decrease. What are the emotional consequences of crying for the infant when she is left unattended? Bowlby and colleagues initiated a series of studies where children between the ages of one and two who had good relationships with their mothers were separated from them and left to cry it out. Results showed a predictable sequence of behaviours: The first phase, labeled "protest", consists of loud crying and extreme restlessness. The second phase, labeled "despair", consists of monotonous crying, inactivity, and steady withdrawal. The third phase, labeled "detachment", consists of a renewed interest in surroundings, albeit a remote, distant kind of interest. Thus, it appears that while leaving babies to cry it out can lead to the eventual dissipation of those cries, it also appears that this occurs due to the gradual development of apathy in the child. The child stops crying because she learns that she can no longer hope for the caregiver to provide comfort, not because her distress has been alleviated.
Do babies cry more when they are attended to? A 1986 study concluded just the opposite: the more a mother holds and carries her baby, the less the baby will cry and fuss. Cross-cultural studies also show that parents in non-Western societies are quicker than parents in Western societies to respond to their crying babies, and babies in non-Western societies cry for shorter spans of time. Caregivers in 78% of the world's cultures respond quickly to an infant's cries. For instance, Efe caregivers in Africa respond to a baby's cries within ten seconds at least 85% of the time when the baby is between three and seven weeks, and 75% of the time when the baby is seventeen weeks. !Kung caregivers respond within ten seconds over 90% of the time during the baby's first three months, and over 80% of the time at one year. In contrast, American and Dutch caregivers have been found to be deliberately unresponsive to an infant's cries almost 50% of the time during the baby's first three months. Infants in non-Western societies have been found to fuss just as frequently as those in Western societies, but due to the prompt response of caregivers in non-Western societies, the overall cumulative duration of crying is less than what occurs in Western societies.
According to attachment theory, many babies are born without the ability to self-regulate emotions. That is, they find the world to be confusing and disorganized, but do not have the coping abilities required to soothe themselves. Thus, during times of distress, they seek out their caregivers because the physical closeness of the caregiver helps to soothe the infant and to re-establish equilibrium. When the caregiver is consistently responsive and sensitive, the child gradually learns and believes that she is worthy of love, and that other people can be trusted to provide it. She learns that the caregiver is a secure base from which she can explore the world, and if she encounters adversity she can return to her base for support and comfort. This trust in the caregiver results in what is known as a secure individual.
Children who do not have consistently responsive and sensitive caregivers often develop into insecure individuals, characterized by anxious, avoidant, and/or ambivalent interactions. Long-term studies have shown that secure individuals, compared to insecure individuals, are more likely to be outgoing, popular, well-adjusted, compassionate, and altruistic. As adults, secure individuals tend to be comfortable depending on others, readily develop close attachments, and trust their partners. Insecure individuals, on the other hand, tend to be unsettled in their relationships, displaying anxiety (manifesting as possessiveness, jealousy, and clinginess) or avoidance (manifesting as mistrust and a reluctance to depend on others). North American parenting practices, including CIO, are often influenced by fears that children will grow up too dependent. However, an abundance of research shows that regular physical contact, reassurance, and prompt responses to distress in infancy and childhood results in secure and confident adults who are better able to form functional relationships.
It has been suggested in the past that CIO is healthy for infants' physical development, particularly the lungs. A recent study looking at the immediate and long-term physiologic consequences of infant crying suggests otherwise. The following changes due to infant crying have been documented: increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced oxygen level, elevated cerebral blood pressure, depleted energy reserves and oxygen, interrupted mother-infant interaction, brain injury, and cardiac dysfunction. The study's researchers suggested that caregivers should answer infant cries swiftly, consistently, and comprehensively, recommendations which are in line with AP principles.
CIO supporters tend to view their infants' cries as attempts to manipulate caregivers into providing more attention. Holding this view can be detrimental to the immediate and long-term health of the baby. In the field of cognitive psychology there exists the premise that our thoughts underlie our behavior. Thus, if we think positively about an individual, our behaviors toward them tend to be positive as well. Conversely, if we think negatively about an individual, we will behave correspondingly. Consider people in your own life whom you consider manipulative – how does that perception influence your behavior toward them?It is unlikely that the interpretation of a manipulative personality will result in the compassionate, empathetic, and loving care of that individual.Infants, quite helpless without the aid of their caregivers, may suffer both emotional and physical consequences of this type of attitude.
When faced with a crying baby, it may be prudent to ask yourself the following questions: Why am I choosing this response? Do I want my baby to stop crying because he feels comforted and safe, or do I want my baby to stop crying for the sake of stopping crying? What is my baby learning about me and the world when I respond in this manner? If I were a baby and was upset, how would I want my caregivers to respond?
References
Campos, J., et al. (1983). Socioemotional development. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Carmichael's Manual of Child Psychology: Vol. 2. Infancy and Developmental Psychobiology. New York: Wiley.
Craig, G., Kermis, M., & Digdon, N. (1998). Children Today. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall.
Dacey, J. & Travers, J. (1996). Human Development Across The Lifespan (4th Ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
DeCasper, A., & Fifer, W. (1980). Of human bonding: Newborns prefer their mothers' voices. Science, 208: 1174-76.
Gleitman, H. (1996). Basic Psychology (4th Ed). New York: W.W. Norton.
Hunziker, U. & Barr, R. (1986). Increased carrying reduces infant crying: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 77(5): 641-8.
Luddington, Hoe, S. Cong, X., & Hashemi, F. (2002). Infant crying: Nature, physiologic consequences, and select interventions. Neonatal Network, 21(2): 29-36.
Macfarlane, A. (1975). Olfaction in the development of social preferences in the human neonate. Parent-Infant Interaction. Amsterdam: CIBA Foundation Symposium.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2001). Attachment theory and intergroup bias: evidence that priming the secure base schema attenuates negative reactions to out-groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(1): 97-115.
Miller, R. (2000). Dysfunctional relationships. In R. Kowalski & M. Leary (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Interfaces of Social and Clinical Psychology. Washington, DC: APA.
Waters, E., Wippman, J., & Sroufe, L. (1979). Attachment, positive affect, and competence in the peer group: Two studies in construct validation. Child Development, 50: 821-829.
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/hewlett/infantcare.html
Below I have pasted an article that is the summary of much research in the effects and dangers of letting a baby "cry-it-out." Here is the original link for reference: http://drbenkim.com/articles-attachment-parenting.html
Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
By Margaret Chuong-Kim on March 22, 2005
Among parents of infants these days, there is constant debate about how to respond to a baby's cries. On one hand, there are proponents of the "cry it out" method, where the baby is left alone to cry in the hopes that he or she will eventually stop. On the other hand, there are the "attachment parents" who respond immediately to their crying babies and attempt to soothe them using various methods including holding and cuddling. While the cry-it-out method (CIO) has been popular in previous years, attachment parenting (AP) is gaining a foothold among new parents today. Results of studies in psychology indicate the AP approach to crying is most likely to result in an emotionally and physically healthy child.
Attachment theory originated in the late 1960s when psychologist John Bowlby postulated that a warm, intimate relationship between caregiver and infant is necessary for optimal health as well as for basic survival. As such, each individual is born well-equipped with reflexes and instincts for interacting with their primary caregiver, which is often times the mother. For example, infants quickly learn to recognize and prefer both their mother's voice and smell. As babies develop some locomotor control they display their desire to be close to their caregivers by reaching toward their mother or father to be picked up or by crawling toward them. From an evolutionary perspective, these behaviours have survival value. Babies who lack such attachment behaviours will stray from their caregivers and are more likely to get lost, attacked, and perish. An infant's cry is also intended to increase the likelihood of its survival, as a mother's instinct is usually to go to her child at the first sign of distress.
We live in an age where we can know that the baby is safe in another room, despite the loudness of his cries. Does this mean we should leave babies to cry on their own? CIO proponents often advise that babies left to cry will eventually stop, and the duration of future crying bouts will decrease. What are the emotional consequences of crying for the infant when she is left unattended? Bowlby and colleagues initiated a series of studies where children between the ages of one and two who had good relationships with their mothers were separated from them and left to cry it out. Results showed a predictable sequence of behaviours: The first phase, labeled "protest", consists of loud crying and extreme restlessness. The second phase, labeled "despair", consists of monotonous crying, inactivity, and steady withdrawal. The third phase, labeled "detachment", consists of a renewed interest in surroundings, albeit a remote, distant kind of interest. Thus, it appears that while leaving babies to cry it out can lead to the eventual dissipation of those cries, it also appears that this occurs due to the gradual development of apathy in the child. The child stops crying because she learns that she can no longer hope for the caregiver to provide comfort, not because her distress has been alleviated.
Do babies cry more when they are attended to? A 1986 study concluded just the opposite: the more a mother holds and carries her baby, the less the baby will cry and fuss. Cross-cultural studies also show that parents in non-Western societies are quicker than parents in Western societies to respond to their crying babies, and babies in non-Western societies cry for shorter spans of time. Caregivers in 78% of the world's cultures respond quickly to an infant's cries. For instance, Efe caregivers in Africa respond to a baby's cries within ten seconds at least 85% of the time when the baby is between three and seven weeks, and 75% of the time when the baby is seventeen weeks. !Kung caregivers respond within ten seconds over 90% of the time during the baby's first three months, and over 80% of the time at one year. In contrast, American and Dutch caregivers have been found to be deliberately unresponsive to an infant's cries almost 50% of the time during the baby's first three months. Infants in non-Western societies have been found to fuss just as frequently as those in Western societies, but due to the prompt response of caregivers in non-Western societies, the overall cumulative duration of crying is less than what occurs in Western societies.
According to attachment theory, many babies are born without the ability to self-regulate emotions. That is, they find the world to be confusing and disorganized, but do not have the coping abilities required to soothe themselves. Thus, during times of distress, they seek out their caregivers because the physical closeness of the caregiver helps to soothe the infant and to re-establish equilibrium. When the caregiver is consistently responsive and sensitive, the child gradually learns and believes that she is worthy of love, and that other people can be trusted to provide it. She learns that the caregiver is a secure base from which she can explore the world, and if she encounters adversity she can return to her base for support and comfort. This trust in the caregiver results in what is known as a secure individual.
Children who do not have consistently responsive and sensitive caregivers often develop into insecure individuals, characterized by anxious, avoidant, and/or ambivalent interactions. Long-term studies have shown that secure individuals, compared to insecure individuals, are more likely to be outgoing, popular, well-adjusted, compassionate, and altruistic. As adults, secure individuals tend to be comfortable depending on others, readily develop close attachments, and trust their partners. Insecure individuals, on the other hand, tend to be unsettled in their relationships, displaying anxiety (manifesting as possessiveness, jealousy, and clinginess) or avoidance (manifesting as mistrust and a reluctance to depend on others). North American parenting practices, including CIO, are often influenced by fears that children will grow up too dependent. However, an abundance of research shows that regular physical contact, reassurance, and prompt responses to distress in infancy and childhood results in secure and confident adults who are better able to form functional relationships.
It has been suggested in the past that CIO is healthy for infants' physical development, particularly the lungs. A recent study looking at the immediate and long-term physiologic consequences of infant crying suggests otherwise. The following changes due to infant crying have been documented: increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced oxygen level, elevated cerebral blood pressure, depleted energy reserves and oxygen, interrupted mother-infant interaction, brain injury, and cardiac dysfunction. The study's researchers suggested that caregivers should answer infant cries swiftly, consistently, and comprehensively, recommendations which are in line with AP principles.
CIO supporters tend to view their infants' cries as attempts to manipulate caregivers into providing more attention. Holding this view can be detrimental to the immediate and long-term health of the baby. In the field of cognitive psychology there exists the premise that our thoughts underlie our behavior. Thus, if we think positively about an individual, our behaviors toward them tend to be positive as well. Conversely, if we think negatively about an individual, we will behave correspondingly. Consider people in your own life whom you consider manipulative – how does that perception influence your behavior toward them?It is unlikely that the interpretation of a manipulative personality will result in the compassionate, empathetic, and loving care of that individual.Infants, quite helpless without the aid of their caregivers, may suffer both emotional and physical consequences of this type of attitude.
When faced with a crying baby, it may be prudent to ask yourself the following questions: Why am I choosing this response? Do I want my baby to stop crying because he feels comforted and safe, or do I want my baby to stop crying for the sake of stopping crying? What is my baby learning about me and the world when I respond in this manner? If I were a baby and was upset, how would I want my caregivers to respond?
References
Campos, J., et al. (1983). Socioemotional development. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Carmichael's Manual of Child Psychology: Vol. 2. Infancy and Developmental Psychobiology. New York: Wiley.
Craig, G., Kermis, M., & Digdon, N. (1998). Children Today. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall.
Dacey, J. & Travers, J. (1996). Human Development Across The Lifespan (4th Ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
DeCasper, A., & Fifer, W. (1980). Of human bonding: Newborns prefer their mothers' voices. Science, 208: 1174-76.
Gleitman, H. (1996). Basic Psychology (4th Ed). New York: W.W. Norton.
Hunziker, U. & Barr, R. (1986). Increased carrying reduces infant crying: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 77(5): 641-8.
Luddington, Hoe, S. Cong, X., & Hashemi, F. (2002). Infant crying: Nature, physiologic consequences, and select interventions. Neonatal Network, 21(2): 29-36.
Macfarlane, A. (1975). Olfaction in the development of social preferences in the human neonate. Parent-Infant Interaction. Amsterdam: CIBA Foundation Symposium.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2001). Attachment theory and intergroup bias: evidence that priming the secure base schema attenuates negative reactions to out-groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(1): 97-115.
Miller, R. (2000). Dysfunctional relationships. In R. Kowalski & M. Leary (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Interfaces of Social and Clinical Psychology. Washington, DC: APA.
Waters, E., Wippman, J., & Sroufe, L. (1979). Attachment, positive affect, and competence in the peer group: Two studies in construct validation. Child Development, 50: 821-829.
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/hewlett/infantcare.html
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
I Love My Inlaws!
We just came home from spending the weekend with my husband's family in Idaho, celebrating his youngest brother's graduation from high school. It was so much fun! We were very busy, but we enjoyed spending time with everyone. I told Mark and Debbie (my mom-in-law) that I really feel like family now. It has been 4 years since I first met the Rich clan, and they are such a great group of people! I am very blessed to have married into such a great family. I think of Mark's family almost like they're my own! Here are a few photos of our trip:
Michael with Judah
Judah enjoying his Grandma... or maybe it's Debbie enjoying her grandson!
Eliza and Daniel
Judah loves to play with balls!
I'm just waiting for the day Eliza tells me that she's going to marry her Uncle Tim!
Dorothy with her favorite niece!
I'll try to get a few more on here after we get them all downloaded to the computer!
Michael with Judah
Judah enjoying his Grandma... or maybe it's Debbie enjoying her grandson!
Eliza and Daniel
Judah loves to play with balls!
I'm just waiting for the day Eliza tells me that she's going to marry her Uncle Tim!
Dorothy with her favorite niece!I'll try to get a few more on here after we get them all downloaded to the computer!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Steps to Make a More Peaceful Home
Our home has been really haphazard and disjointed lately, at least as far as our day-to-day life goes. The kids haven't been sleeping very well, and they seem to be a little withdrawn. When I got to thinking about this last night, I decided that we need to take some major steps to make our home a more healthy, peaceful place to be so that our family can thrive! This is what I came up with, and I put it this on our refrigerator:
Steps to Make a More Peaceful Home:
1. More routine for everyone
2. Consistent devotional time
3. Quality time with the kids
4. Better nutrition for everyone
The way this will look for us is this:
1. More routine for everyone. We have a routine that we haven't been very good about sticking to. We all function better when our bodies and minds know roughly what to expect. This is especially important with bedtime routines.
2. Consistent devotional time. This is for Mark and I, as well as time spent teaching Eliza about God and praying with her (and Judah when able).
3. Quality time with the kids. Both kids need lots of this, Eliza with special "big girl things" like learning her alphabet sounds and playing house, and Judah with wrestling and carrying/wearing him more.
4. Better nutrition for everyone. I am trying to lose some weight and inches, and Mark and I both need to get our bodies into better condition internally. They just feel off! And Eliza hasn't been eating enough during the day, as evidenced by her frequent night wakings and asking for food. Judah also isn't nursing as regularly as he could during the day and as a result is nursing all night long.
We have three weeks until we go to Idaho for Michael's graduation. They say it takes three weeks to make a habit stick, so for the next few weeks this will be our biggest focus!
Steps to Make a More Peaceful Home:
1. More routine for everyone
2. Consistent devotional time
3. Quality time with the kids
4. Better nutrition for everyone
The way this will look for us is this:
1. More routine for everyone. We have a routine that we haven't been very good about sticking to. We all function better when our bodies and minds know roughly what to expect. This is especially important with bedtime routines.
2. Consistent devotional time. This is for Mark and I, as well as time spent teaching Eliza about God and praying with her (and Judah when able).
3. Quality time with the kids. Both kids need lots of this, Eliza with special "big girl things" like learning her alphabet sounds and playing house, and Judah with wrestling and carrying/wearing him more.
4. Better nutrition for everyone. I am trying to lose some weight and inches, and Mark and I both need to get our bodies into better condition internally. They just feel off! And Eliza hasn't been eating enough during the day, as evidenced by her frequent night wakings and asking for food. Judah also isn't nursing as regularly as he could during the day and as a result is nursing all night long.
We have three weeks until we go to Idaho for Michael's graduation. They say it takes three weeks to make a habit stick, so for the next few weeks this will be our biggest focus!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
My Wonderful Husband!
Mark made me feel so special today! I woke up this morning to Judah crawling on me to find that Mark and Eliza were gone. I figured they were cooking up a surprise for me for the special day, and I was right. A few minutes later, they came in the door with big smiles on their faces and a dozen pink roses with a beautiful vase and a card. I was so touched! Mark said that Eliza walked all over the floral department looking at every bouquet and liking a few before she saw these and had to get them! It was so cute - she was so proud of herself!
Then this afternoon we had Tim over for lunch and Mark told me that the real reason Tim was here was to watch the kids so that he could take me out to The Cheesecake Factory! I felt so honored and special that he went through so much to make my day a memorable one! We had a really nice time at The Cheesecake Factory. It's such a different feeling going on a date without juggling two children at the same time!
I love my husband so much! He is such a blessing to me. When I think back to that year of praying that God would open up his heart towards me, and then the year of dating and engagement before we got married, I can hardly believe this road that God has brought us down! It has been such a joy to share my life with someone who must have been created with me in mind!!
Then this afternoon we had Tim over for lunch and Mark told me that the real reason Tim was here was to watch the kids so that he could take me out to The Cheesecake Factory! I felt so honored and special that he went through so much to make my day a memorable one! We had a really nice time at The Cheesecake Factory. It's such a different feeling going on a date without juggling two children at the same time!
I love my husband so much! He is such a blessing to me. When I think back to that year of praying that God would open up his heart towards me, and then the year of dating and engagement before we got married, I can hardly believe this road that God has brought us down! It has been such a joy to share my life with someone who must have been created with me in mind!!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Gary's Wedding
Last month we went to my brother's wedding in Minneapolis. Mark did the photography for it which was a very long, hard day's work for both of us! But I had a blast getting to reconnect with my extended family and old friends!! Here are some photos from the wedding of my family:
My very handsome little brother, Karl:
(yes ladies, he's single...)
Four Generations - My grandparents, Dad, me and my children!
Our Whole Family!
My beautiful little sister, Aimee
Gary & Tina with their daughter, Ruby
My Aunt Sandy & Uncle Jeff (my dad's siblings):
(Yeah... my Greek family knows how to have a good time!)
(Yeah... my Greek family knows how to have a good time!)
Pastor CJ & Cheryl - our pastors and friends for many years:
My very handsome little brother, Karl:
(yes ladies, he's single...)
Four Generations - My grandparents, Dad, me and my children!
Mom with her sisters Mary & Lois, and baby Ruby
My parents! Still in love after 25 years!!!
Ruby and my mom!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
PT101: Potty Training 101 - Score: A+!
I have had 2 long-term nanny jobs in the recent years - and both involved potty training. Both sets of parents took a long, gentle approach to it and both had boys over the age of 3. I can't say that they were great experiences either! Not bad, just not great! Potty training can be such a challenge because it's a really sensitive thing for the child going through it! So needless to say, I was a little apprehensive about what potty training Eliza was going to look like.
Sunday before last we did it. We built it up for a couple of days - getting her some cloth training pants:
and telling her that she was getting too big for her diapers so she was going to learn how to use the potty! She's had a little potty seat since before Judah was born, so she was already familiar with it and even went in it a couple of times.
Sunday morning came, and we brought the potty out to the kitchen. We read her a potty book:
which she really liked. Then we helped her change into her new training pants and her show us how to sit on the potty. Then we offered her some juice. :) And yes, this is a sneaky way to make them have to pee more so that they get more practice! Over the course of the day we had probably 6-8 accidents on the floor and one BM in the carpet (eeewww!), but towards the evening she started getting the hang of it and once she felt herself start to pee, she'd stop and let us guide her to the potty to finish. Monday, she only had 2 accidents - one first thing in the morning, and one in the evening when she was playing with a friend and forgot. Pretty good for her second day! She had a few drips in her undies but that was it. Tuesday she was dry all day! Wednesday we went to Target to get her some much-deserved "big girl panties" which she got to pick out. She picked Elmo:
And that was basically the end of potty training Eliza! She has her occasional accidents, and won't poo on an adult toilet, but who can blame her?!? They're like almost as big as she is!
Anyway, I am sooo proud of my little girl! I'll add a photo of her in her cute panties when I get a chance to upload it. Gotta go put Judah down for a nap!
Sunday before last we did it. We built it up for a couple of days - getting her some cloth training pants:
and telling her that she was getting too big for her diapers so she was going to learn how to use the potty! She's had a little potty seat since before Judah was born, so she was already familiar with it and even went in it a couple of times.Sunday morning came, and we brought the potty out to the kitchen. We read her a potty book:
which she really liked. Then we helped her change into her new training pants and her show us how to sit on the potty. Then we offered her some juice. :) And yes, this is a sneaky way to make them have to pee more so that they get more practice! Over the course of the day we had probably 6-8 accidents on the floor and one BM in the carpet (eeewww!), but towards the evening she started getting the hang of it and once she felt herself start to pee, she'd stop and let us guide her to the potty to finish. Monday, she only had 2 accidents - one first thing in the morning, and one in the evening when she was playing with a friend and forgot. Pretty good for her second day! She had a few drips in her undies but that was it. Tuesday she was dry all day! Wednesday we went to Target to get her some much-deserved "big girl panties" which she got to pick out. She picked Elmo:
And that was basically the end of potty training Eliza! She has her occasional accidents, and won't poo on an adult toilet, but who can blame her?!? They're like almost as big as she is!
Anyway, I am sooo proud of my little girl! I'll add a photo of her in her cute panties when I get a chance to upload it. Gotta go put Judah down for a nap!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Me and My Endless Projects!
My life seems to be comprised of a constant stream of projects - and very often I don't finish them before moving on to the next one! For instance, right after Mark and I got married (3.5 years ago) I decided that I would input all of our chord charts for worship music into a computer/web-based database so that they were easy to access and find. I put it to rest around letter F when Eliza was born 2 years ago, and the pile of chord charts is still sitting underneath our printer!
The other day Mark and I were looking at a couple of Bible storybooks that were given to our kids. We were amazed and disgusted by how Biblically-inaccurate they were! Being Messianic, I always replace "Jesus" with "Yeshua" when I'm reading to my kids, and other names with their actual Hebrew name also (Just because Pedro from Mexico moves to the U.S. we don't start calling him Peter - his name will always be Pedro! Shouldn't it be even more so with the Son of God?). We also correct some other things like instead of 2 of every animal in the ark, there were actually 1 pair of every unclean animal and 7 pair (14) of every clean animal! Anyway, this got me to thinking about how much I would like to have a Bible storybook for my kids that I didn't have to screen first! And with as easy as it is to write and print your own book these days, I decided that I would write a Biblically-accurate (yes, violence and sex will be masked as appropriate) Bible story book and get it printed at one of those online print places (like Shutterfly).
So I'm going to do it - but... I'm not a very good artist, or at least I don't have time to practice to where I'd be comfortable at doing it. So if anyone reading this knows someone who might enjoy illustrating a children's Bible story book, I'd love to talk to them! The illustrations will follow the culture and will be mostly Jewish in nature, but will also include ancient Egypt, Rome and Persia.
Woohoo! I'll post some text here when I get it started!
The other day Mark and I were looking at a couple of Bible storybooks that were given to our kids. We were amazed and disgusted by how Biblically-inaccurate they were! Being Messianic, I always replace "Jesus" with "Yeshua" when I'm reading to my kids, and other names with their actual Hebrew name also (Just because Pedro from Mexico moves to the U.S. we don't start calling him Peter - his name will always be Pedro! Shouldn't it be even more so with the Son of God?). We also correct some other things like instead of 2 of every animal in the ark, there were actually 1 pair of every unclean animal and 7 pair (14) of every clean animal! Anyway, this got me to thinking about how much I would like to have a Bible storybook for my kids that I didn't have to screen first! And with as easy as it is to write and print your own book these days, I decided that I would write a Biblically-accurate (yes, violence and sex will be masked as appropriate) Bible story book and get it printed at one of those online print places (like Shutterfly).
So I'm going to do it - but... I'm not a very good artist, or at least I don't have time to practice to where I'd be comfortable at doing it. So if anyone reading this knows someone who might enjoy illustrating a children's Bible story book, I'd love to talk to them! The illustrations will follow the culture and will be mostly Jewish in nature, but will also include ancient Egypt, Rome and Persia.
Woohoo! I'll post some text here when I get it started!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Our Crazy February!
We have had the craziest month around here! We have been busy trying to grow our photography business and did three sessions this month. It has been fun, and we are praying that God will help us grow and develop because we would really like to do this for a living someday in the not too distant future! For a glimpse of our work, you can view the Rich Imaging Blog (click to link). Right now we're trying to get some practice doing senior sessions and are offering them for FREE - so if you know any high school juniors in the area, send them our way!
We also almost moved this month and it fell through at the last minute. We've been tentatively planning on doing a lease-to-own with someone since the beginning of February. He called on Feb. 16th and said that he'd be ready with money in hand to sign papers and move in by the 1st of March. We said that that would be fine, and set up to sign papers on Feb. 29th. For the next week I frantically searched for a place for us to live. We are actually planning on moving to Idaho (more on that below) in a few months so we couldn't move anywhere that required a lease. Finally on the 24th, we found a place - it was a perfect situation for us and it was as if God handed it to us Himself, telling us not to worry and that He would take care of us.
The next day was Monday, and the guy who was supposed to be signing papers with us on Friday called to try to back out of the deal because he found something more appealing. Mark convinced him to keep his word and he decided to stay with us. I had a sick feeling in my gut all day on Tuesday, knowing I desperately needed to pack but being afraid that it wasn't going to go through. On Wednesday morning, I decided to just go ahead and pack because I had so much to do in just a couple of days. I packed all morning. Then, in the afternoon, this guy called to let us know that he didn't have any money to sign the lease papers and he was calling it off. I was angry and at the same time relieved. So, we're not moving out of our condo - at least not yet!
That brings me to the next topic: our pending future move to Idaho. We've been toying with the idea of moving to Boise for over a year now. We really want to raise our children around their grandparents and include our extended family in their lives. In most ways, Boise will be a better place for us to raise our family. It is a smaller city with much less crime and less traffic. It is a more conservative area with favorable laws on homeschooling and families in general. And since we want to have a few more kids, it will be much easier to raise them with the help of Mark's parents. It will also be a day's drive closer to my parents in Colorado which will make it feasible to visit them much more often. AND, real estate is about half the price as it is in the Seattle area, which is appealing for obvious reasons!
The biggest reason we don't want to leave here is our amazing and wonderful community at Beit Tikvah. BT has been a place of huge spiritual growth and maturity for us as well as a place that has fostered some wonderful relationships. Our faith has deepened to a level we never realized possible before, and we have a foundation that will support us for the rest of our lives. For those of you who don't know, Beit Tikvah is a Messianic congregation. Essentially, it is a place where we keep the Torah as a part of our relationship with God. We keep the Sabbath, celebrate and honor the Biblical holidays (Leviticus 23) and eat Biblically kosher. We are very similar to a typical Jewish community except for the major difference that we believe in the deity of Yeshua (Jesus). Our rabbi's teachings are very solid and Biblically-sound and relevant to our lives. (Side note: you can listen to them yourself from BT's website link on the right!) Such a community is not easy to come by! There are a lot of flaky communities in the Messianic movement, but our is definitely not one of them! We have developed so much there and have fostered some wonderful friendships that we will always treasure.
That being said, we still believe that it is God's will for us to move on from here into a new place, spiritually as well as physically. I remember when we first started attending BT, and Mark told me that he believed that we would be there for a short time - maybe a couple of years - and then God would move us on somewhere else. At the time, I prayed he was wrong but knew he probably wasn't. I've learned to trust Mark's prophetic gift and his ability to hear from God. So all this time we knew deep down that this was probably just going to be a relatively short season of our lives, but I think all along we hoped it would last forever. We don't know what kind of a community of believers we will find ourselves in when we move to Boise, but we do know that at the end of this time we will live forever in a world of Torah observance, where all the nations with gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Sukkot together with Yeshua! We will always cherish our relationships at BT, though, and hope to visit there whenever we are able.
So, we will continue trying to sell our condo (or do a lease-to-own) and Mark will start looking for a job in Boise, and our plan is to move in the beginning of June. We'll see how things go!
In the meantime, here are some recent pictures of our beautiful blessings from God!
Eliza will be two at the end of March and our next event with her will be learning to use the potty! I am especially looking forward to it! :o) She is talking a lot now and starting to really use her imagination in play which has been loads of fun!
Judah is 6 1/2 months and is growing up so fast! He is sitting up (for a few weeks now) and starting to crawl already! I think that he is always challenged by his big sister and is pushing himself more than she did at his age. He's such a joy!
Well, everyone, I must end this very long post. Have a wonderful day... and leave me a comment - I'm curious if anyone reads this thing!! ;o)
-Judy
p.s. Oh - and by the way - I voted for Mike Huckabee...
We also almost moved this month and it fell through at the last minute. We've been tentatively planning on doing a lease-to-own with someone since the beginning of February. He called on Feb. 16th and said that he'd be ready with money in hand to sign papers and move in by the 1st of March. We said that that would be fine, and set up to sign papers on Feb. 29th. For the next week I frantically searched for a place for us to live. We are actually planning on moving to Idaho (more on that below) in a few months so we couldn't move anywhere that required a lease. Finally on the 24th, we found a place - it was a perfect situation for us and it was as if God handed it to us Himself, telling us not to worry and that He would take care of us.
The next day was Monday, and the guy who was supposed to be signing papers with us on Friday called to try to back out of the deal because he found something more appealing. Mark convinced him to keep his word and he decided to stay with us. I had a sick feeling in my gut all day on Tuesday, knowing I desperately needed to pack but being afraid that it wasn't going to go through. On Wednesday morning, I decided to just go ahead and pack because I had so much to do in just a couple of days. I packed all morning. Then, in the afternoon, this guy called to let us know that he didn't have any money to sign the lease papers and he was calling it off. I was angry and at the same time relieved. So, we're not moving out of our condo - at least not yet!
That brings me to the next topic: our pending future move to Idaho. We've been toying with the idea of moving to Boise for over a year now. We really want to raise our children around their grandparents and include our extended family in their lives. In most ways, Boise will be a better place for us to raise our family. It is a smaller city with much less crime and less traffic. It is a more conservative area with favorable laws on homeschooling and families in general. And since we want to have a few more kids, it will be much easier to raise them with the help of Mark's parents. It will also be a day's drive closer to my parents in Colorado which will make it feasible to visit them much more often. AND, real estate is about half the price as it is in the Seattle area, which is appealing for obvious reasons!
The biggest reason we don't want to leave here is our amazing and wonderful community at Beit Tikvah. BT has been a place of huge spiritual growth and maturity for us as well as a place that has fostered some wonderful relationships. Our faith has deepened to a level we never realized possible before, and we have a foundation that will support us for the rest of our lives. For those of you who don't know, Beit Tikvah is a Messianic congregation. Essentially, it is a place where we keep the Torah as a part of our relationship with God. We keep the Sabbath, celebrate and honor the Biblical holidays (Leviticus 23) and eat Biblically kosher. We are very similar to a typical Jewish community except for the major difference that we believe in the deity of Yeshua (Jesus). Our rabbi's teachings are very solid and Biblically-sound and relevant to our lives. (Side note: you can listen to them yourself from BT's website link on the right!) Such a community is not easy to come by! There are a lot of flaky communities in the Messianic movement, but our is definitely not one of them! We have developed so much there and have fostered some wonderful friendships that we will always treasure.
That being said, we still believe that it is God's will for us to move on from here into a new place, spiritually as well as physically. I remember when we first started attending BT, and Mark told me that he believed that we would be there for a short time - maybe a couple of years - and then God would move us on somewhere else. At the time, I prayed he was wrong but knew he probably wasn't. I've learned to trust Mark's prophetic gift and his ability to hear from God. So all this time we knew deep down that this was probably just going to be a relatively short season of our lives, but I think all along we hoped it would last forever. We don't know what kind of a community of believers we will find ourselves in when we move to Boise, but we do know that at the end of this time we will live forever in a world of Torah observance, where all the nations with gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Sukkot together with Yeshua! We will always cherish our relationships at BT, though, and hope to visit there whenever we are able.
So, we will continue trying to sell our condo (or do a lease-to-own) and Mark will start looking for a job in Boise, and our plan is to move in the beginning of June. We'll see how things go!
In the meantime, here are some recent pictures of our beautiful blessings from God!
Eliza will be two at the end of March and our next event with her will be learning to use the potty! I am especially looking forward to it! :o) She is talking a lot now and starting to really use her imagination in play which has been loads of fun!
Judah is 6 1/2 months and is growing up so fast! He is sitting up (for a few weeks now) and starting to crawl already! I think that he is always challenged by his big sister and is pushing himself more than she did at his age. He's such a joy!
Well, everyone, I must end this very long post. Have a wonderful day... and leave me a comment - I'm curious if anyone reads this thing!! ;o)
-Judy
p.s. Oh - and by the way - I voted for Mike Huckabee...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Photos of our growing kids!
It's been a long time since I've put photos in here, so here it goes! The top ones are the most recent:
Judah is now happily rolling all over the place, and as of this past weekend he is sitting!
Eliza and I dancing to some swing-style music!
Mark took this one - our happy boy!
We took Eliza to the Everett Children's Museum on New Year's Eve - it was a blast!
I took these two of the kids on a Shabbat morning in December - all dressed up and adorable!
Couldn't resist doing this one in black and white - Judah's not quite rolling over yet here.
I hope you enjoy these photos! Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Judah is now happily rolling all over the place, and as of this past weekend he is sitting!
Eliza and I dancing to some swing-style music!
Mark took this one - our happy boy!
We took Eliza to the Everett Children's Museum on New Year's Eve - it was a blast!
I took these two of the kids on a Shabbat morning in December - all dressed up and adorable!
Couldn't resist doing this one in black and white - Judah's not quite rolling over yet here.I hope you enjoy these photos! Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Tough Times Parenting, part 2
Well, things are going better than I expected with Judah. I only ended up having to spend one night in the living room with Judah before returning to our bedroom. He did better the next night, although I was so tired that I think I nursed him to sleep frequently, which was okay that night. Since then, he has done better, usually having one instance each night where he has a hard time going back to sleep. But we haven't had to go to any extremes, which is great. He'll fuss for a few minutes, but then he'll eventually go back to sleep. Praise the Lord! And he's been napping really well too which is wonderful for me!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tough Times Parenting
Those of you who know me well know that I am a firm believer in attachment parenting. I wear my babes in a sling or mei tai (as long as my back will cooperate), I breastfeed on demand, hopefully until they wean themselves (Eliza had to wean early as I lost my milk in pregnancy), we co-sleep, and my entire being cringes at the thought of the "cry-it-out" method. I have always made it a point with my children to respond to them as quickly as possible in any time of their distress because I believe in their cries. Crying is the only way babies have to communicate with us, and by responding to them quickly I am telling them that I am concerned about their well-being. I want them to trust that if they cry to me, I will answer. I firmly believe that by building this kind of a foundation early on, my children will have a solid trust in me as they grow up.
So, that being said, this is what has been going on around our home lately. First, some background. Eliza was a "bad" sleeper. For the first year of her life, she woke up every hour and a half to two hours all night long, and she wasn't easy to get back to sleep. When she was around 10 months old or so, we realized that she was taking in an inordinate amount of calories during the night, and her body was legitimately hungry during all of those wakings. So we began weaning her off the night feedings and increasing her caloric intake during the day. It was a hard road, especially combined with the unplanned forced weaning from breastfeeding that occurred when I became pregnant with Judah and lost my milk. She also was a bad napper, which made it even more difficult. I was a frazzled, frustrated mess until she started sleeping for a few straight hours at night, which happened around a year old.
So back to now: Judah is a much better sleeper than Eliza was. When he was 3 months old he started sleeping for 4-5 and sometimes even 6 hour chunks during the night. I was so happy - this was how babies were supposed to sleep so that their parents didn't lose their sanity! But a few weeks ago, this dream began fading and he started waking more and more frequently. He's been getting up every hour or two all night and unlike Eliza who would nurse and then be rocked or walked back to sleep, he wakes up and will sometimes nurse and other times will just cry until I pick him up, take him out of the [warm] bedroom, and pace around with him. I am having flashbacks to my frazzled self with Eliza, crying out of despair and losing my temper for no good reason. Not willing to return to that sleep-deprived state, I decided that something has to change. So, last night after we were all tucked in for bed (we 4 all sleep in the same room), Judah woke up wailing, just an hour after he last nursed. I knew he wasn't hungry. I took him out of our room, into the living room and made us a makeshift bed on the floor. We proceeded to spend the night on the hard floor. He cried on and off for an hour that first waking, as I lay next to him and lovingly rubbed his back, patted him, sang to him, and reassured him. The next time he woke up, a few hours later, he nursed thoroughly and went back to sleep with hardly any fuss. Then he awoke again an hour later and cried for 20 min or so, again with me trying to comfort him.
I know this might sound mean to those of you who are strictly against letting a baby cry. And it probably sounds ridiculous to any of you who's baby cried it out at 2 months old. But I refuse to leave my baby alone to cry - I do want him to know that I am there with him and that I'm not going to abandon him in his time of need. At the same time though, I also know my child enough to know that he doesn't need anything - he just wants to be held and rocked and walked around every time he wakes up. I also know that however a baby falls asleep, that is what they will expect when they wake up. So unless I want to be rocking him every hour, I need to find a new solution. So it looks like we'll be spending a few nights on the living room floor. Hopefully this will fix a few things, and then we can return to our family bedroom with daddy & big sis!
So, that being said, this is what has been going on around our home lately. First, some background. Eliza was a "bad" sleeper. For the first year of her life, she woke up every hour and a half to two hours all night long, and she wasn't easy to get back to sleep. When she was around 10 months old or so, we realized that she was taking in an inordinate amount of calories during the night, and her body was legitimately hungry during all of those wakings. So we began weaning her off the night feedings and increasing her caloric intake during the day. It was a hard road, especially combined with the unplanned forced weaning from breastfeeding that occurred when I became pregnant with Judah and lost my milk. She also was a bad napper, which made it even more difficult. I was a frazzled, frustrated mess until she started sleeping for a few straight hours at night, which happened around a year old.
So back to now: Judah is a much better sleeper than Eliza was. When he was 3 months old he started sleeping for 4-5 and sometimes even 6 hour chunks during the night. I was so happy - this was how babies were supposed to sleep so that their parents didn't lose their sanity! But a few weeks ago, this dream began fading and he started waking more and more frequently. He's been getting up every hour or two all night and unlike Eliza who would nurse and then be rocked or walked back to sleep, he wakes up and will sometimes nurse and other times will just cry until I pick him up, take him out of the [warm] bedroom, and pace around with him. I am having flashbacks to my frazzled self with Eliza, crying out of despair and losing my temper for no good reason. Not willing to return to that sleep-deprived state, I decided that something has to change. So, last night after we were all tucked in for bed (we 4 all sleep in the same room), Judah woke up wailing, just an hour after he last nursed. I knew he wasn't hungry. I took him out of our room, into the living room and made us a makeshift bed on the floor. We proceeded to spend the night on the hard floor. He cried on and off for an hour that first waking, as I lay next to him and lovingly rubbed his back, patted him, sang to him, and reassured him. The next time he woke up, a few hours later, he nursed thoroughly and went back to sleep with hardly any fuss. Then he awoke again an hour later and cried for 20 min or so, again with me trying to comfort him.
I know this might sound mean to those of you who are strictly against letting a baby cry. And it probably sounds ridiculous to any of you who's baby cried it out at 2 months old. But I refuse to leave my baby alone to cry - I do want him to know that I am there with him and that I'm not going to abandon him in his time of need. At the same time though, I also know my child enough to know that he doesn't need anything - he just wants to be held and rocked and walked around every time he wakes up. I also know that however a baby falls asleep, that is what they will expect when they wake up. So unless I want to be rocking him every hour, I need to find a new solution. So it looks like we'll be spending a few nights on the living room floor. Hopefully this will fix a few things, and then we can return to our family bedroom with daddy & big sis!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Thanksgiving and more
Well, it's been an emotional couple of weeks around here. On the day before Thanksgiving, our house purchase fell through. Turns out our broker made a major computing error on the estimates he was giving us the entire time and he was telling us that it would be almost a thousand dollars less per month than it actually was. It was very frustrating and emotional, especially for me.
The next day, Mark's parents and youngest brother came up from Idaho to spend Thanksgiving and the weekend with us. We had a blast with them! Eliza loved it and learned how to say "Grandpa/Grandma" which melted all of our hearts! I went shopping on the morning after Thanksgiving with Mark's parents and Judah - at 5am - woohoo! We had our "Thanksgiving Dinner" on Friday with a turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry salad, green beans, salad, and pecan pie with ice cream. It was a feast! And it was great to have us all together. Tim's girlfriend Allison came also and it was great to get to know her a little more.
The weekend really helped me get my focus back where it should be. God has blessed us immensely in so many ways!
Since the initial blow, we've discussed a few things that helped me feel better about it all. First, God was probably protecting us from a potentially bad situation with the house. We were biting off a very big mouthful! Secondly, we decided that we're still going to try to sell (preferably lease-option) our condo and either find another house or rent for awhile. Thirdly, we are turning our under-utilized guest room into a cute playroom for Eliza (and Judah if we're here long enough). By pulling the toys out of the living room we will gain some additional living space which will be nice.
The next day, Mark's parents and youngest brother came up from Idaho to spend Thanksgiving and the weekend with us. We had a blast with them! Eliza loved it and learned how to say "Grandpa/Grandma" which melted all of our hearts! I went shopping on the morning after Thanksgiving with Mark's parents and Judah - at 5am - woohoo! We had our "Thanksgiving Dinner" on Friday with a turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry salad, green beans, salad, and pecan pie with ice cream. It was a feast! And it was great to have us all together. Tim's girlfriend Allison came also and it was great to get to know her a little more.
The weekend really helped me get my focus back where it should be. God has blessed us immensely in so many ways!
Since the initial blow, we've discussed a few things that helped me feel better about it all. First, God was probably protecting us from a potentially bad situation with the house. We were biting off a very big mouthful! Secondly, we decided that we're still going to try to sell (preferably lease-option) our condo and either find another house or rent for awhile. Thirdly, we are turning our under-utilized guest room into a cute playroom for Eliza (and Judah if we're here long enough). By pulling the toys out of the living room we will gain some additional living space which will be nice.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Family Photos & News
Here we are - our beautiful and happy family! We had our personal family photographer - Mark's brother, Tim - take our picture at the beautiful Bothell Landing Park. They turned out so well!Some news from us - we're moving! Next month we will be moving out of our condo into a beautiful house in Auburn. It will be a big change for us in many ways - we'll be closer to some of our friends and farther from others. But we are looking forward to it! Pray for us - that we find someone to lease our condo soon!
Shalom!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Anniversary Blessings!
Today is Mark and my anniversary, and I can't help but think about how blessed we are to be trusted with these two precious lives! My, how time flies - seems like just yesterday we were newlyweds on our honeymoon at Seaside eating ice cream at the parlor down the street!
Eliza, age 18 months:
Judah, age 6 weeks:
Eliza, age 18 months:
Judah, age 6 weeks:
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Photos of Judah!
Here are a few photos that we took on Sunday at the park:
Judah is growing up so fast already!
Judah is growing up so fast already!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Our son has arrived!
We have been blessed by the birth of our first son! Judah Malachi Rich was born on August 16th at 4:15am. He was 7 lbs, 14 oz and 21 inches long at birth and perfect! His birth was wonderful - exactly what we hoped and prayed for. He was born into his daddy's loving hands and immediately held by me while he adjusted to life outside the womb.
Here's a look at our new blessing:
Here's a look at our new blessing:
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Almost Ready for Baby!
Wow - this past 8 months has flown by! I am now just shy of 37 weeks gestation which means the baby could come in a week or could wait another 4! I've stopped nannying and am now a full-time stay at home mom, which has been wonderful for Eliza and I. It has been so nice to focus so much of my time and energy on her. She has developed a lot with the extra attention - learning her shapes and colors and lots more words. It will be hard to learn to split my attention between two children, although I'm sure it will be wonderful in its own way!
And for an update, I have been shampoo-free for almost a month and a half now, and only cleanse my hair with baking soda every 4-5 days. It's amazing to me that it takes that long to build up oils! I still haven't switched to a natural alternative to conditioner, so I still use commercial stuff when I cleanse with baking soda. But it's still a good transition for me. I could never go for any length of time with oily hair - it totally grosses me out; so I'm very glad that the baking soda enables me to not shampoo and still cleanse.
Following are a few photos from recently:
Here is Eliza playing our new electric piano - she couldn't avoid music even if she wanted to in this house! But she really loves music as much as Mark and I do, which we're glad of.
And here are a few photos that we did to capture my pregnancy (at Bothell Landing Park):
Lastly, this is Eliza and I relaxing in our birthing pool which we were testing out before our baby's birth! She's gives the best kisses, and she gives them so freely!
And for an update, I have been shampoo-free for almost a month and a half now, and only cleanse my hair with baking soda every 4-5 days. It's amazing to me that it takes that long to build up oils! I still haven't switched to a natural alternative to conditioner, so I still use commercial stuff when I cleanse with baking soda. But it's still a good transition for me. I could never go for any length of time with oily hair - it totally grosses me out; so I'm very glad that the baking soda enables me to not shampoo and still cleanse.
Following are a few photos from recently:
Here is Eliza playing our new electric piano - she couldn't avoid music even if she wanted to in this house! But she really loves music as much as Mark and I do, which we're glad of.
And here are a few photos that we did to capture my pregnancy (at Bothell Landing Park):
Lastly, this is Eliza and I relaxing in our birthing pool which we were testing out before our baby's birth! She's gives the best kisses, and she gives them so freely!
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