I thought I was just being lazy...

I happened upon this article this morning that speaks of the growing trend to skip over the phase of feeding your baby a bunch of pureed baby food and start them on soft cooked solid food that they can pick up with their fingers and self-feed. Huh! That's what I have done for most of my kids, especially my little Samuel who is just approaching his first birthday. Now, I have to admit that I stick a plate of something soft that he can pick up in front of him because I am busy serving and tending to the rest of the family and I really like to be able to sit down and eat at some point as well. With several little ones, that can be a challenge. So, if I can get my little guy to feed himself, my life is much easier. I've been feeling a bit guilty about this. Now, that many experts are saying that this may be a good idea, I guess I can let go of my guilt, huh?

I think what is really going on here is that God has designed us from birth on to thrive in the most efficient manor. Kinda cool!

I scrapbooked!

I actually scrapbooked! It has been WAY too long since I have found the time to do this. Sadly, I have been slacking at taking photos, too, which is pretty bad since I have a fast growing baby in the house. I do, thankfully, have some photos. I just wish I had more.

The days are full beyond measure and I am constantly have to be selective with what is on my to do list because there is no way to get it ALL done. For my sanity, I cannot neglect the household management. It takes less than a day of ignoring the household chores for this place to turn into quite a sty! I have also found that I need to keep something creative in my day to keep my sanity, too. It is just so easy to say I will do that [creative thing] after the laundry is done or this clutter is dealt with. BUT, sadly, the laundry is NEVER done and there's always more clutter. Sometimes you just have to turn a blind eye if you ever want to do anything fun. I think the key is finding that place where the messes aren't overwhelming and the fun still happens.

Anyway, I took the time to go through some photos yesterday and I scrapbooked this one. Yay! It is of my baby at the zoo last week sitting on Gramp's lap. I think he is looking so old. It is amazing how much babies change in just a few short months! Speaking of the little guy, he is sitting on my lap as I type this and trying desperately to reach the keys. Gone are the days where he would sleep peacefully on my lap while I am on the computer. I suppose that is why I have found it so difficult to scrapbook. If you are interested, all the credits and details of this page can be found here at Cottage Arts.

Edited to add:

I get irritated with blogger. It always does weird, inconsistant thigs with my formatting. Today it doesn't want to leave a space between my paragraphs. Other days it will put 4 or 5. Anyway, sorry about that.

Life with Baby Update

No news is good news, right? Sorry, I have been a bit quiet on the ol' blog. As you can imagine life has been a bit busy since we brought baby Samuel home. Even though he is a really good baby, he LOVES to eat frequently which takes quite a bit of my time. I still have not got my routine adjusted to accommodate this.

I did manage to create a couple of baby announcements. This was accomplished by creative multitasking while I nursed Samuel. I figure if I have to sit to feed him, I may as well also use that time to create, too.

I couldn't really decide what I wanted, so I made two versions. I think the top one is my favorite, though. Credits for each one can be found here and here.

I also have some other photos to share. These were all take on Samuel's 6th day.











This last photo I used to create this scrapbook page:



Credits fr this page can be found here.

Well, I am currently experiencing the joys of a 2am feeding. I decided to pop online as I fed Samuel so I didn't fall asleep. My daughter took our camera home and downloaded some of our photos and posted them on her blog. I snagged them so I could show them off as well.

First is the before photo. Her I am with some of the kids on Tuesday. I was getting ready to head out to my doctor's appointment and had realized that I had not made an effort to get any decent pregnancy photos. So, I had Elizabeth snap a few.



Fast forward about 24 hours and you are up to this next one. Elizabeth snapped this photo of me introducing Samuel to all of his siblings.



Here is Abi and I with him. Abi has determined that she is "going to be mom when I grow up."




Here is one I took of my oldest with my youngest. They are 15 years apart in age.



Anna, Abi and Baby Samuel.

Here I am helping Abi, "the little mama," hold Samuel herself.

Baby is finally here!

The waiting is finally over. We have been blessed with beautiful new baby BOY! Little Samuel came out to meet us early yesterday morning. He is healthy and well, weighing 8 lb. 12 oz. and 21" long. And, of course, he is the sweetest little thing ever (yeah, I may be biased). All of his siblings have held/poked/prodded him and decided that he is a keeper. His brother is absolutely thrilled to have another man in our family.



Unfortunately, I do not have a way to post pictures at this time as I am working on a borrowed laptop in the hospital. Photos will have to wait until I return home sometime tomorrow.



Little Samuel is currently snoozing comfortably on my lap at I type. He is such a little miracle. You forget how little and tiny and amazingly precious a newborn is. Their skin is the softest thing ever. As my friend pointed out, you can take all the photos you want, but nothing can capture the essense of that baby's soft cheek. And those tiny little features! A baby is truly "fearfully and wonderfully made." I don't know how anyone could look at a new little one and NOT believe that there is a Creator. Every feature is in perfect miniature!



I need to wrap this up because this nursing mama needs some breakfast. So, I won't post any of the details about his birth right now, but it was a special blessing, too.