Happy Birthday, Little T

One week old!

One year ago today, my life was irrevocably changed in ways I never could have imagined: I had a little boy. I never really thought of myself as a mom; I wanted to be cool Aunt Krista, but I'm finding motherhood is so much better and so much more rewarding than just being a cool aunt. It hasn't all been sunshine and roses (please, he's a baby, not a cabbage patch doll), and I've spent a lot of time obsessing over what was "normal" and the "right" way to do things, but I've learned that you just gotta do things the best that you can, and hope that your kids forgive you for any mistakes you make. Because you will make them.

As I reflect on this past year, I'm still amazed at how fast it went, and I find myself agreeing with the advice that I continually got from random strangers: hug and kiss them now because it doesn't last long!

So, happy birthday, little T-Rav. It's been a great year (cuddling, cooing, smiling, laughing, cuddling, talking, walking, cuddling...); I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (other than the diaper changing, and the crying, and the uncertainty, and the fall from the shopping cart, and the crying).

Remember this hair? (3 weeks)

I hope the next year is twice the fun with half the angst! Let's meet back next year to reflect on year two!

At daycare--Merry Christmas! (4 mos)

A day outside (6 mos)

Swinging and laughing (6 mos)

Camera Lover (9 mos)

I survived the first year! (12 mos)

Little Red Wagon First Birthday Party

After years of totally lame parties, we finally scored a fun, clever first birthday party--it sure helps that Travis is happy and cute!

The Theme

I didn't like the traditional party accessories that I kept running across; I wanted something a little bit different, something simple and classic, so I did a lot of research. It took awhile, but then I found two things that helped solidify the theme.

1. Trav's birthday gift from Pappaw
2. Several other mom's blog posts who had done parties with related themes, and encouraged me that it was possible to do it myself.

Our theme centered around the classic little red wagon. I created banners using scrapbook paper of sky, sand, grass, pebbles, denim, and wooden fences to create an outdoorsy feel.  I made cupcake toppers using the same design as the banners, but smaller and glued onto toothpicks.

Cupcakes

Then I decided on decorating cupcakes. Taking several cupcake decorating classes was very helpful, but I knew I wanted something simple. Using just a couple of colors and a few different decorating tips, I created green grass and white peaks sprinkled with red sugar and sparkly fairy dust. For Travis' special cupcake, I made a jumbo red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I thought it was appropriate since I discovered and fell in love with red velvet cake while I was pregnant with Travis (because he didn't like chocolate!).

He had such a fun time tearing apart the cupcake and making a huge mess.

Gifts

By now, I'm sure you're wondering about that gift from Pappaw! It was  a little red Radio Flyer sports coupe. Absolutely adorable. Travis LOVES it! The other kids took turns driving him around the house in it.

As I was trying to think of a birthday gift from Ken and I, I thought how fun it would be to have a little gas pump to go along with the car. But I didn't want to spend much money, so Ken suggested I go online to get a little inspiration on how to make one. Surprisingly, I only found one reference to a homemade gas pump, so I used it for the basic idea, but embellished the idea for a truly unique homemade gift. I'll tell you how I did it in a separate blog post, but for now, here's some teaser photos.

Several months ago, I began a project that took such a long time to complete that it became Travis' second birthday gift. Using a robot theme and coordinating scrapbook paper, I made a matching game.

I took 12 pieces of ready-made craft wood, and decoupaged  rectangles of paper on both sides. One side is all the same design, while the other side has 2 each of 6 designs. I then embroidered a robot onto a little pouch that holds all of the wooden rectangles. It is a little old for him yet, but he'll be able to play before we know it.

We had such a fun time celebrating our little man's first birthday with family and close friends. I'd like to thank our amazing friend, Ashley Terry, for capturing the day with such amazing photos. 

Hang in there

Sometimes life just gets overwhelming. It happens to us all: no matter how good your life is, it is not always sunshine and rainbows. I've come to believe that once you get through the dark times, you can look back and see the situation in a whole different light, and be thankful for the experience. It sure is hard being in the tunnel though.

We've had a rough week. Travis has been teething, and therefore cranky. I've been exhausted because I never sleep well without Ken, and we're into week 3 of Ken being in SATX (San Antonio, TX). Trav is fun, but being with an active, teething not-quite-toddler 24/7 with no break is not something I recommend. Yesterday, I bent down wrong when I picked Travis up, and now my back is aching something awful. I have a lot of respect for military moms and moms whose husbands travel, especially when they have multiple kids; it's hard enough keeping up with one.

I realize our problems are small in comparison with others struggling with much larger issues, and I haven't lost the sense of gratitude that I am able to stay home full time, and that I have an amazing and supportive husband. But sometimes, life just gets overwhelming, and change requires adjustment. It's times like these that I'm thankful for an awesome God to lean on. No, He doesn't make my back stop hurting miraculously, and no, He doesn't magically make everything better. But I feel his love, and when I am able to sit and be still once T is in bed, I sometimes feel myself wrapped up in the warm, comforting arms of the God who hand-crafted me. He then whispers two of my favorite verses in my ear and encourages me to hang on a little longer. Let me share them with you.

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ~Hosea 2:15

I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ~Psalm 27:13

Throughout my life, God has whispered these verses over and over to me, reminding me that He is always with me, even in the dark of the tunnel, and giving me strength to continue on until I begin to see the bright light of the sunshine on the other side. Sometimes life just gets overwhelming, but if you hang on long enough, it soon rights itself, and you are able to more fully appreciate the light and the joy it brings. And maybe, just maybe, things get better than they were before.

Here's to making it through the tunnel, and having faith that the light at the end isn't a train.

What's in a Name?

We sold Chloe awhile back; for those not in the know, that was our little green Toyota Echo. It was a great car, and got awesome gas mileage, but I now feel like a grown-up with an adult car!

I believe that names are important. Sort of like, "you must be special if you're important enough to be named." Naming something is powerful; you're setting the memory of that thing permanently in your mind to forever be remembered and cherished (or ridiculed). No longer was it just a turtle, it was Max, the turtle that ate dog food. It wasn't just a cat that looked like a thousand other cats, it was Mindy, and she was my first cat. Ken has indulged my need to name the cows in the pasture, random animals we come across, and even inanimate objects. We call his GPS Jezebel because it sometimes leads us astray. We call his SUV Ruby because it is red. I once named a bird that had died after flying into our front window (which was closed). Then I buried him, and wrote a memorial poem. I will always remember Fred, and the sacrifice he made for a cause we will never know.

From the beginning, the name Chloe seemed to fit the Echo perfectly. It was independent, breezy, peppy and fun. I enjoyed driving Chloe and we took many great trips together. One of my best buds, Laura, even made me a mix tape for traveling (See photo at right). She and her husband lived in Omaha, NE for a few years, and I drove up to visit them on several occasions. At one point, another friend and I (Jess) took an impromptu road trip (the reason why is a whole other story!) through Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.We bonded while driving all night, listening to the Counting Crows and talking about life. Another time, the four of us drove to Wahoo, NE because we saw it on the map, and I just had to visit. For years afterward, we said "WaHOO, Nebraska!!" any time there was any celebrating to be done (OK, I still do).

If you're still with me, the point of this entire post is that I am having trouble deciding on a name for the new Camry. I could continue to call it The Camry, but to me, it's not just a name for a car, it's a name that will feature in the new memories I will make as I drive it. Someday, we may pass the car down to Travis, saying "remember when..." and I want the name that goes with it to match both the car, and who I am now (or who I want to be). Classy but laid back. Traditional but fun. Spontaneous but grown up. 

Any suggestions?

Life is funny that way

So after I blogged the other day about how God is teaching me to embrace my own writing style, I received this daily devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries reminding me that God gives unique gifts to each person and that we should embrace our gifts. The post centered around this verse

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Isn't it funny how God works? Sometimes we hear a gentle whisper through the storm prodding us to trust and follow Him, and other times He uses clanging symbols to send a message to jump start our hearts and reverberate through our souls. I find that I am continually amazed and thankful by his love for me.

I've been thinking a lot about strengths lately. I guess because I am still trying to pinpoint mine. It's always been easier to identify where I fall short, but I'm beginning to realize that life is better if we pinpoint our strengths and build upon them. To that end, I took the StrengthsFinder quiz. Here are the strengths it identified for me. Do you think they're accurate?

• Learner: People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them. 

Without a doubt, your hunger for evidence, data, or background information is immense. Whether your sources of knowledge are people, classes, books, the Internet, or discussions, you are hardwired to be as informed as you possibly can be prior to starting most ventures. You probably prefer to be overly prepared rather than risk being poorly prepared. Chances are good that you yearn to increase your knowledge by being kept in the information loop.

• Input: People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information. 

Chances are good that you are delighted to read more about topics with which you are already familiar. Accumulating additional information about these issues and subjects makes more sense to you than venturing off into areas about which you know very little.

• Intellection:  People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions. 

You regularly reflect on how you felt about your experiences as they occurred. You usually ponder how you felt afterward, too. Your emotional awareness sharpens your thinking. You are doubly blessed: You think with your head and feel with your heart.

• Empathy:  People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations

By nature, you might work persistently to lift people’s spirits. Perhaps you naturally see the good in individuals or situations. Maybe this approach allows you to embrace rather than resist life’s surprises, disappointments, opportunities, or successes. Chances are good that you recognize when your coworkers can benefit from your approval and compliments. You spontaneously sense a person’s need to hear kind, encouraging, or supportive words from a colleague. You enjoy celebrating the contributions, strengths, discoveries, or victories of individuals.

• Connectedness: People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Because of your strengths, you may get to know people individually in your quest to gain wisdom. Discovering the qualities that distinguish someone from everyone else might be an essential aspect of your search for truth. Instinctively, you occasionally help people realize they are part of the human family. With your guidance, perhaps they understand that their lives are intertwined with people they will never meet.

I feel like they're pretty accurate. So, the next time I start to doubt my own abilities and begin to compare myself with others (and lament that I fall short), remind me of this verse and smack me upside the head. :)

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”  

Let's have a heart to heart

Sometimes I write blog posts in my head while walking or driving or trying to fall asleep, but they never seem to end up on the blog. I wonder, sometimes, if you want to hear about

1. how much I LOVE editing for our friend Todd at Assured Leadership, 
2. how happy I am to still have a foot in the Tech Writing world, 
3. how much I want to learn to design websites, but feel overwhelmed by the tools, or 
4. how much I want to use up the cute fabric piling up in my office, and 
5. how much I want to sell the things I make with my cute fabric so I can buy more cute fabric? 

Do you really want to know that I love staying home with Travis, but continually stress out about the dishes piling up or the fact that I feel like the worst cook in 3 counties so I try to avoid it even though secretly I love to cook and want to be successful?

I read some blog posts by friends of mine who are so freakin' funny (don't visit if you get offended easily) or so stinkin' creative or so dramatically descriptive that you want to go back day after day and read everything they post. And then I feel like a total slacker for falling back on videos and the boring recounting of my days with T-man. Sometimes I feel sorry for you, my readers, that I'm not more interesting, creative, or descriptive.

But then I remind myself that my writing style is different, and that's not always a bad thing. I can be inspired by others, but I need to embrace my own strengths and find peace in my writing. One of the reasons I started this blog was to embrace a new style of writing, so this is kind of a growing thing.

My 3 followers read this because there's something here they enjoy (OK, well, one of my followers is me), and the rest of you read this because I actually send it to you whether you want to receive it or not. I assume you would tell me if you didn't want to be one of the chosen 10. :)

Though sometimes I wonder if you read my posts, I feel compelled to continue writing. I guess because something that God is teaching me is that I have to put myself out there. To be truly great, you have to practice, you have to try, and you have to fail (if that's what it takes). I am a master at staying within my comfort zone...in fact, the very idea of publishing this particular post scares me because it reveals more about me than I'm used to sharing with others, even those I love. But more than share pictures of my cutie, I want to inspire you, to connect with you, to share stories that make you laugh or cry, to share my struggles and triumphs and encourage you to share yours, to reveal the glory of God and how He prods me to be a better person and to lean on Him.

So, keep reading. I will continue to share photos and videos of T-man, but along the way, I will also share pieces of myself, and just maybe, you will read something that makes you laugh out loud, or smile throughout your day, or makes you think a little bit about life and the wonderful journey we travel together.

Feel free to share with me; I want to know what you think. Maybe we can swap some recipes.

Happenings and Changes!

On our morning walk by the river

Earlier this week, Ken, who has never met a stranger, helped a lady at Loewe's who was fixing her lawnmower. She happened to work for the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort right here in Bastrop, and invited us to visit, so we decided to treat ourselves as a celebration. Though it's only about 10 minutes away, it felt like we were miles away from home. We naively believed that we'd be one of a couple of families sharing the pool, so we were super surprised by the number of people and kids everywhere!!

My great guys

However, we had a great time. We got an upgraded room (with a balcony), and after we ran into Cynthia the next morning, she bought me a coffee and comped our breakfast, which was a delicious buffet! I hope that Travis is as outgoing as Ken--he always meets the nicest people!

We traded off getting massages and playing with Travis in the pool. He was one tired baby, there was so much going on that he would not fall asleep for anything! After 2 hours of trying, he finally fell asleep about 10pm, but woke multiple times to throw up...of course, waking us up in the process. Poor baby got so overheated that it made him sick. He's fine now, and has slept most of the day to catch up on his sleep, and now we know that 3 hours by the pool in this heat is a bad idea. For some reason, we forgot to get photos of us in the pool, but we did get some others.

Sleepy, sleepy baby

Ready for a nap!

We had to visit the horses:  Julius and Cesear

Travis seems to really enjoy the water, though the Hyatt was not his first swimming experience. Last Saturday, we were invited to a pool party, and had a great time with some of Ken's co-workers from ASI.

In the pool!

Sylin' with hats

Bob and Travis meeting

Tuesday, May 24 was my good friend Bob's 60th birthday, and we were invited to a surprise party at the Oasis. Boy, was he ever surprised! I can't help but feel that we were the highlight of his day. As soon as Bob saw that we were there, he made a beeline straight towards us, and Travis went right to him! Later that night, I heard Bob introduce me as his daughter, which, I have to say, made my day! I used to work for Bob, and when he and his wife Candy decided to move to Austin, TX, they brought me along as part of the family, which I've been ever since. Candy passed away several years ago, but I think of her every time I use my sewing machine because it was once hers. I feel that everything I make on it is a tribute to her.

Me, Bob and Trav

Finally some of you may have already heard that Ken has accepted a position with a company called RackSpace. It is here in Austin, and promises to be a new challenge, which Ken is looking forward to. I know that he'll miss his friends at ASI, but we're excited about this new change in our lives.

Inspiration

Here are two graphics I whipped up tonight. Ken took the photos while we were out at The Oasis on Tuesday night, and I pulled the quotes from my vast collection. Someday, I should print a book using all the quotes I've collected over the years. I'm sure it would be quite popular.

I hope you find them inspiring.

Memories

It's interesting how memories can be sparked by the smallest things and can reach out and wrap you in a warm, gentle hug. For example,

1. Listening to the song "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson always makes me think of having fun with my mom, driving, and a joy so profound that it still has the power to put me in a good mood, requiring me to sing along. 
2. Watching Wimbledon always reminds of my dad, who LOVED tennis, who was always picking perceived specs of dirt off the coffee table, and who I know loved me deeply in his own way, though I struggled to understand that for much of my life. (Interestingly, I haven't watched Wimbledon since he died in 2007).
3. Smelling one of the deodorants I rotate through makes me think of strolling along the streets of Paris with Ken, our lovely hotel room in London (with it's stainless steel tea set replacing the traditional American coffee pot), and the company of the man I love, who exceeded all my single expectations of what a husband and partner should be (and continues to do so!).

As I think about what memories I want Travis to grow up with, among them are 1) laughing with Mama and Papa for no good reason, 2) eating watermelon in the heat of summer surrounded by people who love him, 3) praying for the people driving from a funeral home to the grave site, and 4) knowing that he is loved no matter what. 

It's your turn--

What evokes special memories for you? What memories do you wish to pass along to your kids?

Catching Up

Has it really been over a week since my last post? Oops, sorry about that! We've been very busy, and time just slipped away! So, our big news is that we got a new car! It's a 2009 Toyota Camry. Ken has spoiled me rotten, so I had to have all the bells and whistles! It has a leather interior, with power doors, locks, and is even bluetooth-enabled, so rest assured I am driving safely. Seriously, I feel like a grown-up now with a grown-up car. I love this car, and look forward to spending more time in it. Is that weird?


In other news, we welcome our new "niece," Ryah Soren Anderson, born to our best buds Jess and Derek Anderson. She was born on May 7, 7lbs and 14oz. We are so excited, and hope to actually see them sometime soon and meet little Ryah!

We had a great weekend hanging out with our wonderful neighbors, and washing our cars! Travis played on a big blanket on the grass, and even Saige got to hang out with us. We were so busy scrubbing, we didn't have time to take photos, but here are some from a week or so ago with our sweet neighbor, Abbi. Travis just loves her and climbs all over her. It's very cute.

Walking around outside

Cool Cat with his sunglasses on!

Abbi got him to fall asleep!

 We had a good Mother's Day. Travis got me a really sweet necklace. Ken wasn't feeling too well, so we didn't really do anything, but Travis and I spent some time with our neighbors, which is always fun.

I decided to try taking some more artsy photos of T-Rav, so here there are. What do you think? Don't quit my day job, eh?!

Little Feet

Little Toes

Standing Up!

We hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and are doing well. All our love!

Action Shot

Here's that action shot again, just in case you missed it!

He couldn't stand for those glasses to be in the wagon with him!

Day 3 of the Nursing Strike

So, here we are at day 3 of the nursing strike. It started Tuesday morning after Travis bit me 3 times, and I told him no and put him on the floor to play. I didn't realize it was a strike until Tuesday evening when I thought back over how little he ate all day and the big fit he threw when I tried to feed him dinner. We've been using bottles because any time he thinks I'm trying to feed him, he starts screaming and crying like he's being tortured. So here we are...and my heart is breaking.

Sure, I know he still loves me; he follows me around the house like a puppy, and cries when I get too far ahead. He crawls towards me when I'm on the floor, and wants to be held while he plays with his toys. I know it's not a rejection of me. I know he's scared, teething, and in pain, and doesn't want to keep biting me. But there's a difference in knowing all that, and then listening to his screams, and watching his little lip pucker and the tears start when I try to cuddle him. I'm trying to be patient and upbeat, but surely he knows something is wrong, and my distress continues to keep him away.

I had planned to wean early, but I hadn't planned to wean at 8 months, and certainly not like this. He still can't drink regular milk, and I worked so hard to get him off of formula in his first few months that I refuse to put him back on it for 4 more months (until he's 12mos and can drink milk). Since I am an information gatherer, I've already done tons of research to discover what is going on and what I should do. Babies don't self-wean before a year, so I know it's not that. It's likely that he got scared after he bit me and I yelped. The prevailing suggestion is to have patience. Great, just what I'm good at, but meanwhile, my heart is breaking and my baby is crying.

Dear God, please let this end soon, and please don't let me give up...