Chase’s First Cereal!

Back when Cooper was a baby, I was so anxious to start him on solids that I started trying them on him as soon as he hit 4 months old. I’ve since read up on the issue and realized that I really should have waited until he was 6 months old.  I was excited to not have to rush Chase into solids because it is just one more thing in the day and I figured it would really be a challenge to nurse Chase and then give him cereal.

I tried to wait guys…really, I did! But he just wants food!

Opening wide to enjoy the first couple of bites

Here’s how it all started.

You’ve seen the video on my flickr site of Chase getting really excited while watching us eat dinner. No? Check it out here.

Well, on Sunday afternoon after church, Jer was enjoying a brewskie along with his tasty chicken tacos. He was holding Chase and finishing off said beverage when Chase very excitedly grabbed for the glass and began “talking” like crazy.  Jer called me over to watch Chase reach for Daddy’s glass and try to drink from it. I mentioned to Jer that Chase has also been getting excited when he sees me drinking out of my water bottle.

I finally just laughed and said, “ok, let’s try it”. I broke out the cereal and the breast milk, mixed up a tablespoon and tried it on him. He was thrilled to the kilt. It was so funny! He very excitedly opened his mouth as wide as a baby bird and he cried when it was all gone. So I gave him one more tablespoon. The video for that is up at the flickr site because you know…wordpress is annoying sometimes.

Here are a couple pictures of the event.

First tastes of cereal

Mmmmmm cereal

Today, I wasn’t sure if I should go ahead and introduce cereal into our day or if I should try and wait a little longer. But he was pretty verbal after I nursed him.  He wasn’t satisfied until I gave him cereal. So, 3 times today, he got a tablespoon or two of cereal.

Gosh, I just can’t believe he is this big! Is it really already time for solids? It seems like he is growing up so fast. I keep thinking when I cuddle with him at night before he goes to bed that I want him to just stop growing. But then when I see how fun Cooper is, I remember how fun it is as they get bigger.

If anything this just solidifies in my heart that I think I’ll need just one more baby….

We brought the exersaucer in the house today too and the doorway jumper last week; he loves them both! I can’t believe this sweet little baby is growing so very fast. Jeremy and I just keep saying, “no! he’s not this big!”

Two days old, first day home from the hospital. My how he's grown!

The Nevils Got Outta Dodge!

Starting last Friday, June 19, Jeremy had roughly 10 days off work. We were really thrilled to get this time because back in April (when we had a little over 2 weeks of leave time), we thought that was the only time off he would have before deployment. We weren’t totally sure what we wanted to do with this time; it was the ever-often spoken question of couples, “do we stay or do we go?”.  We had plenty of grown-up responsibilities to fulfill like cleaning out the garage and the filing cabinet, renewing our plates on the car, you know-fun stuff like that. So we tossed a couple ideas around throughout the weekend.

I think we finally discussed it and made a decision sometime on Sunday night! Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but it was a challenge for me to actually pull the trigger on this issue. I have a couple weird quirks about me. For starters,  I have an anxiety about spending large amounts of money. And for the sake of this discussion, large to me is defined as anything over $200.  I know that sounds dumb, but it is just an issue I have to work through. God has used it for good in my life too…I’m very cautious on big purchases.

The other thing that is rough for me is that much spontaneity. Um…I like what’s called “planned spontaneity” and yes, it’s a term I’ve coined just for myself. Meaning, we plan to have a chunk of time in our day/week/month where we will do whatever we feel like doing. Much outside that can bring on a little anxiety mostly because I don’t like being unprepared.

Anyway, we bit the bullet and decided to go to Seaside, OR for an overnight trip! We planned to leave on Tuesday morning, stay the night, play all day Wednesday and leave to come back home late that night. (The drive is a little over 3 hours.) Jeremy found a great deal on a hotel room in Seaside thanks to our good friends the Hendersons and we booked it! We were off!

Our Hotel in Seaside for the first night

We had a delightful drive thanks to the portable DVD player for Cooper. We actually got to talk all the way down without Cooper piping in his two cents every few seconds. Chase slept almost the whole way too. It was just a pleasant and lovely drive.

When we got in to Seaside, I freaked out. IT WAS SO AWESOME! I was overwhelmed with how nice our hotel was, how pretty the area was with all the cutsie shops and the beautiful sand beach RIGHT THERE, and how much there was to do there. I was so excited that I begged Jeremy to let us stay another night. This all happened before we ever got out of the car. 😀

Needless to say, we had a blast. I’m glad I overpacked all of us because that allowed us the extra day to stay and play. (Incidentally, I have another post that will be coming shortly regarding how to dress for the “beach” when you live in the PacNW. Stay tuned…) Additionally, since we stayed an extra day, we got to go to Cannon Beach! AH…..one of the pictures from that day will be the new header on my blog. It was just so gorgeous.

Standing in front of Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach

I don’t know what it is…just the way God made me I suppose, but I am so drawn to water. I love lakes, rivers and especially oceans. The ocean was so beautiful. It was just overwhelming how strong it was. Jeremy and I had to shout to talk to each other because the waves crashing onto the sand and rocks were so loud. I could listen and watch waves crash for hours – it is so enchanting to hear and see!

I’m loading the pictures and videos up on the Flickr site as I type this-so they should be up by the time this post is published.  You’ll probably have to go there for the play-by-play. And even though I felt like a major tourist snapping photos constantly, I don’t feel like the pictures I took even captured half of the fun we had!

This poor crab wasn't doing too good-he was caught in the waves and had been handled a bit...but he fulfilled Cooper's wish of finding a crab!

We had a great time together as a family just enjoying the chance to be fun and spontaneous. I was ready to get home Wednesday afternoon, but it was so great to get away. I have lots of little stories, but I’ll save those for individual posts because this is already pretty long! Check out those pictures!

Thoughts on Being a Mommy of Small Children

I was just reading my good friend Jamie’s blog and it spurred in me a thought I’ve often had regarding mom-hood; mainly that it can be rough at times! I’ve thought about this a lot…mostly when I’m in the shower gathering my sanity in the mornings. But I don’t think I have written about it very much here.

I wasn’t the kind of girl who dreamed of being a mommy when I was a kid.  I know a lot of moms who tell me that it is all they ever wanted to do when they grew up, but I don’t recall having my heart ever set on one particular thing like that. Being a mommy wasn’t on my radar.

Once I got married I knew I wanted children…but I could never have guessed how children would change my heart and my life so profoundly. When I found out I was pregnant with Cooper (which was 1/2 a surprise and 1/2 not) I FREAKED out. Then, when I had Cooper, I was weird.  To be honest, I think I got a little lost within myself. Maybe it was a touch of post-partem depression or a strong dose of hormones plus reality. Regardless, for me, becoming a mom was so huge.  I mean you go from an individual who acts for herself alone to a person who exists almost exclusively for others. It’s like you are not your own anymore. (Talk about a lesson in humility!)

Those first couple of months as a new mom were really tough for me to navigate. I have many friends who can attest to my extreme weirdness as I adjusted; but I truely believe Jesus pulled me out of that and reminded me of who I was and am. I’m so thankful I had my Spiritual Direction group to help me journey through that time!

After that, I really felt like I not only recovered from my weirdness, but I truely relished the extreme love I had for this new little person in my life (who sucked the life out of me!). I was overwhelmed and even all-consumed with love for Cooper, and I fell madly in love with being a mom. So much so that I felt deep guilt at leaving him to go to work every day. For me, that was the biggest change. I NEVER thought I would want to stay home with my children. I always assumed I would just work after I had kids…that’s why I went to college! But now that I have tasted staying home…I’m scared to have it any other way. I love getting the opportunity to be with the boys in this capacity even if it takes a lot of energy and presence to do and do it well. (And my hat is off to you important ladies in my life who work full time jobs and are mommies. I did it so I know it is possible, but wow! That is strength!)

Chase’s birth has only further confirmed in my heart how much I love my kids and how much I enjoy being a mom. I tell Jeremy on a regular basis that Chase has made me so excited to have more kids! Yet….when I read blog posts like my friend Jamie wrote about those rough days we have as moms, I’m reminded how draining it can be.

Some days I feel like I can’t have an adult conversation with another human being because Cooper is so busy interrupting me and bouncing all over the place or getting into some sort of mischief. Some days I long for the days when he is older and less “all up in my business”.  I long to go somewhere chic, get a cup of coffee at a little cafe ALL. BY. MYSELF. and sit IN SILENCE.

Peace and quiet, calmness and stillness can be so elusive to us at this stage in our life, but they are so healing and necessary to this mommy’s soul! I know you mommies out there know what I mean. It’s a tough dichotomy ($5 dollar word!); you love your children with a deep intensity and yet they really know how to bring you to your knees some days!

So what’s the point here? I dunno. Just to say, girls, fellow moms, I hear you, I feel you, and I’m so glad I’m not in this alone! I know this time will pass quickly and I will long for the days of squishy, drooly, babies and the morning cuddly-tickle fights, and maybe just maybe, I will miss the 473 questions Cooper asks me EACH. DAY.  In the mean time, I am richly blessed for the times when I can sneak away and enjoy the silence and especially for my friends who struggle and rejoice right along side me. I love my kids and for all the life they suck out of me,…they offer it back to me tenfold! I know I’m a better person because of them and all they’ve taught me and continue to teach me.

Jeremy’s Deployment Ceremony

Our little family right before Jeremy deployed to Afghanistan in 2009

Friday at 1:00 pm we went to Jeremy’s Deployment Ceremony. It wasn’t really what I thought it was going to be…I guess it was just an old tradition. But regardless, it was the event that marked the end of Jeremy’s training and that was pretty monumental.

The ceremony was quick; only about 30 minutes long. There were 3 speakers of pretty high rank and they all basically said the same thing; that the guys have trained hard for this time, that they are a unique unit and that they should be honored for all the hard work they’ve done. They are the only Stryker unit to be stood up from the ground up and they are the first Stryker unit to go to Afghanistan. Then, it was pretty much over.

Jeremy has 10 days off work from today through the 30th of June. We plan to do our best to finish up our administrative things we need to do as a family and then we would really like to sneak away for a little family vacation. After that is the 4th of July and Cooper’s early birthday celebration; then the count down begins and we’ll be basically waiting for the phone call to tell us when it is Jer’s turn to go.

We are trying to keep our spirits high and light. I keep thinking of the following verse:

⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

 ¹³It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[a]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

 ¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8-20.