Prayer for Haiti

My prayer for Haiti and her people who are the beloved of God:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So 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. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8

Nursery!!

I have wanted to post some nursery pictures for quite some time. The above picture was taken by my Wonderful photographer katherineholly.com. I will do a post on that later. This is the changing table (without the Pottery Barn Kids pad). Two of my dear friends made the name in flowers.

The rest of the pictures were taken prior to Little One's birth. I was looking through these and decided to add some that include me. I truly enjoyed being pregnant but now that I am not, it is nice to not have to waddle or slowly sit down or have a really round face! I felt great most of the time but these pictures were taken right before she was born. I felt really big at this point.

Please take note of one thing in particular ... the beadboard paneling. My sweet and very talented husband did this one panel at a time when I was away one weekend. It was a true labor of love. We are just waiting for it to be covered in handprints and crayola crayons in Little One's future! Also, please do not judge the little mess' everywhere. I do not know how to edit pictures and also just realize this is real life ... at least this is my real life!

This is the entry to the nursery.

These are some of the sweet toys and books that I received at my shower.

The rocker was the one my parents used to rock my brothers and me to sleep

... my mom and dad had it re-covered. It will be available for each grandchild!

Here is one of my FAVORITE things in the nursery. The mobile is from HenPeck in

Downtown Franklin.

My parents gave us the bedding as a present.

I LOVE it! It is Elizabeth Allen and has a vintage feel.

These are the many dresses that my mom made for me and Little One is now wearing ... AMAZING!

The precious rug ended up pulling all the colors together without being too "matchy" and is

from Brentwood Interiors. Curtains are from beloved Target.

Roman Shades are Pottery Barn ... yes, the ones that got recalled.

The dress behind me is from London, and Little One will wear it for her baptism.

I am so happy with how the nursery looks. I am not a decorator but really enjoyed doing this. Each piece as special meaning to me. Please check out this blog to see other nurseries: http://blog.urbangrace.com/?p=1303. Her blog is one of my favorites.

New Addition to Food Fetishes!

I wasn't in my right mind when I left off another favorite of mine as a child...The Banana Salad...a culinary delight which was indigenous to our summer beach culture. I know some of you may find it hard to believe, but we grew up eating our hot meal in the middle of the day. Part of this was designed to keep us out of the midday sun because we were required to rest for two hours after eating to give our food time to digest. (Do any of you remember that ever-popular myth that you could develop cramps if you swam too soon after a meal?!) Nevertheless we were not allowed back down to the water until around 2:00 p.m. Thus dinner was replaced by supper (a light meal as opposed to a heavy one) and the banana salad was a standard supper time treat. No cooking was involved, and we children were taught very quickly how to make our own so our mothers were free to pursue whatever mothers pursue when their children are otherwise engaged. The directions for the banana salad are as follows: take one large banana and slice in quarter size round pieces, put the sliced banana on a plate with a dollop of mayonnaise (that other Southern food group) and an even larger dollop of peanut butter. Take a fork and drag the banana slices through the peanut butter and then the mayonnaise. Ummm...delicious and believe it or not, very filling. Another no cook meal that the mothers loved! My own children would occasionally eat banana salads when growing up, but they considered it more of a snack than a meal (that's what having three boys will do for you) but now, they would not touch the stuff. However, when I go home to visit my mom or I get homesick for a bit of Cinco Bayou, I will fix myself my very own banana salad! You should try it some time! As Julia would say, "Bon Appetit!"

Odd Food Fetishes from the Mom

I got to thinking tonight about the strange foods or, in our case, combinations of foods that families eat and enjoy that seem to be indigenous or endemic to that particular family. I will share our odd food fetishes, but hope that this will be a trade-off as I would love to know some of yours!
1) Crackers in Sweet Milk. The crackers must be saltines and only one brand will do: Nabisco Premium Saltines. I hate to plug a particular brand unless it is absolutely necessary, but in this case it is -- all other varieties simply get too mushy too quickly or are not crisp enough to begin with, and believe me, in an effort to save a dime or two, I have tried them all. In defense of crackers in sweet milk -- this is purely comfort food for the weary. It is also a quick and easy supper that is very filling although the health conscious among us would be hard pressed to find any decent representation of the food groups. To prepare this culinary delight, take one large glass and fill with almost one sleeve of crackers; crushing the crackers slightly to get them to the brim. Then pour sweet milk (translate that to regular milk because in the Deep South any milk that is not buttermilk used to be called sweet milk)two-thirds of the way to the top of the glass. Immediately begin squishing or crushing the crackers down into the milk with a spoon. Once you have reached the desired consistency, eat immediately. The beauty of this dish is that there is no cooking involved and clean-up is minimal. If Julia Childs had known about this culinary treasure, it probably would be famous.
2) Field Peas with Mayonnaise. In addition to milk, butter, and sweet tea, the next most important food group in the South would be mayonnaise. I don't know why my Opp grandparents started putting mayonnaise on field peas, but folks in my family have been doing it for 80 years or so. Field peas are not readily available outside of Lower Alabama. I know because I spent more than a few years hitting all of the farmers' markets in Tennessee looking for field peas. Well-intentioned farmers tried to sell me crowders and purple hulls and even tempted me with limas, but I know a field pea when I see one, and I wasn't having any of it. There is a variety of pea that is close enough (the Lady Pea) that if I get desperate, I can boil me a batch and be relatively happy, but when I head home to Lower Alabama, you can rest assured that I will soon be eating some field peas slathered in mayonnaise...just the way I like them. If you would like my recipe for field peas, just let me know. Oh, and it does involve another favorite Southern food group: bacon.
3) Spaghetti Sandwiches. Somewhere along the line my family developed a taste for spaghetti sandwiches. I have two theories about this odd combination. The first one is that I simply forgot to buy the obligatory french bread that is usually served with spaghetti and simply threw some white bread (this was in the days BEFORE wheat bread was all the rage) on the table and told my kids to eat it with the spaghetti and since the bread was so soft, it was easier to just spread the spaghetti on the white bread and roll it up like a little sandwich. The second theory is that spaghetti was always a terribly messy meal at my house (four children, three of them boys and three kids under the age of four at one time -- can you call this insanity?!) so in desperation, I made a little spaghetti sandwich for whomever was the toddler at the time and the others decided that they would like to try it as well. Then it was a "Hey Mikey, he likes it moment," and the rest is history. As a side note, spaghetti sandwiches are a great way to stretch that little bit of spaghetti you have left over that is not quite enough to make a second meal out of. And we all know that spaghetti is even better the second time around.
I hope this post will get you thinking about the strange foods that your family likes to eat. I am sure that we have more, but at the moment all I can think about is running to the kitchen for some....you guessed it, crackers in sweet milk!

The Club from the Mom

   There are five of us in the Bosom Bottom Buddy Club. We are first cousins and the children of identical twin sisters. The odd thing about being daughters of identical twins is that genetically speaking, we are all half-sisters. The cousins have different fathers but the same genetic mothers. It makes for a weird confluence of relationship and heredity. Ours is an exclusive club, and we have never been tempted in bring in any other initiates. I find it hard to believe that the Bosom Bottom Buddy Club has been around for nearly 50 years. I am not certain when we named ourselves officially, but it was likely about the time that I and my cousin turned six or seven. The name we chose was definitely scandalous to us at the time (bosoms and bottoms were not then topics of general discussion among the populace) and therefore worthy of the secrecy and exclusivity with which we viewed ourselves. Instead of a secret handshake or password, we devised a special greeting: standing side-by-side in pairs, we would butt chests, then bottoms, and as a finale, throw our arms around one another to conclude with a big bear hug.
   Our official meeting place, our erstwhile clubhouse, was an old bird coop at the back of my grandmother's house in Samson, Alabama. While in reality it was was little more than a dilapidated wooden shed, it certainly seemed like the Taj Mahal to us. The shed had a door and two glass paned windows, and the former chicken yard was bordered by a fence that even boasted a gate. The ritual of occupancy demanded that the entire membership be present before one member could enter. Thus it was with great impatience that my sisters and I would await the arrival of our cousins each year. The five of us would be up and outside at dawn's light, and we would play until we were called for lunch and then return to our hideout until we were called again for supper. Lest I give the impression that all was harmonious, 'tis true that we argued considerably among ourselves at times (most usually over the assignment of duties), but I somehow remember that despite our squabbles, we had a deep and abiding joy in that place. We treasured our independence, our protection from what we perceived to be our parents' prying eyes, yet we almost always closely followed the rules they had devised for us. In our private sanctuary, we were as free as only children can be. Sticks became arrows in the hands of a fearless warrior. A piece of rope became the reins for a great steed. The tall magnolia was a lookout's post for an army fort surrounded by marauding Indians. The hours slipped away from us even as the memories grew. I did not know then what a treasure I was amassing for myself.
    The clubhouse we claimed and made our own is there no longer. The winds of change have driven us from that distant shore in the picture above to different cities and different states. We are no longer girls, but women grown and even middle-aged. Yet the tie that binds is still blessed. It is a bond that has endured the passage of time and the warp and woof of life.
    Where have the years gone? They melt away into nothing when I remember how we laughed with delight over the smallest of things and how we can still chuckle and even howl when we get together. When sorrow slept outside the doors of our lives, our friendship, laughter and love have helped each of us to keep the darkness at bay. It was an honor to be with each of you this fall when we laid our dear grandmother to rest. She loved family, and she loved each one of us. As the days pass, I am thankful for the legacy that she has imparted to each of us. The scriptures remind us to owe no man anything except the debt of love. If that is true, then we owe one another and certainly her a great deal. My cousins, my sisters, my friends. I look forward to renewing our ties, our love, and our laughter in April. See you then!

Lessons Learned in 2 months

I have only been a mom for 10 weeks, yet I feel that I have gained a world of knowledge. Some of these lessons have been learned the hard way (through many errors) and others were through dear family (Honey, GiGi, YaYa, and Kelly) and friends. So this is a thank you to those that have given much needed advice and also a reminder for myself of how little I knew about taking care of a baby when I first started. I am sure this list will continue to expand for the rest of Little One's life!
First off, pregnant moms: 1. You finally get to sleep on your stomach post baby but watch out as you might wake with wet spots on your chest! 2. I loved not having to go to the bathroom every two hours at night, but I have peed on myself more times in the past two months than I had in over 24 years! She is totally worth all the quirks!
Here are some tips for new moms or those taking care of a baby:
Savor EVERY moment. This child is such a sweet blessing.

• Set up a system with your spouse/helper so both of you feel involved and one person does not feel too overwhelmed ... My husband rocks and does diaper duty at night after I feed and burp ... everybody's system is different
• If your baby has spiky hair just embrace it ... hair gel does not work. Trust me.

• Curved baby fingernail scissors over filing, biting (scary) or clippers. Red Cross baby scissors from Target are definitely better than the Walmart brand. Also, always run your finger nail underneath the baby's nail prior to cutting.
• Pampers all the way with the green line
• Have someone show you how to do the "spit bath" prior to the cord falling off because we traumatized Little One...she peed twice and pooped because we didn’t know what we were doing. First real bath: I really like bathing her in the sink without any baby tub/holding device as she loves being buoyant.

• Clean under arm/leg creases and belly button really well otherwise they start smelling sour. I felt awful the first time a smelled under her arm. I just didn't know it could smell that bad without being active!
• Buy lots of cheap washcloths (Target or Walmart) and have some upstairs and downstairs
• Have a diaper caddy upstairs and downstairs (basket with diapers, wipes, bibs, a toy and some socks)
• Love the sound lamb from Pottery Barn. Don't buy the high tech Pac N Play with the bassinet, changing system, etc. Just get the regular one.
• Wish i had a good night light ... maybe I will buy in the future
• Booties actually stay on unlike most socks
  
• Keep the brush the hospital gives you and the nose bulb as it is better than the one from Target or Walmart
• Just plan to change lots of diapers at first and then you figure out a system i.e., if she is dirty I try to feed her before changing as she always goes during a feed (saves diapers)
• Buy diapers in bulk from diaper.com
  
• Have husband go to first few visits as doctor limits visitors and he needs to hear why!
• Put the swing in the bathroom so you can take a bath or shower and she most likely will go to sleep swinging
• Always put clean diaper under the diaper you are changing as she might go on you if you don’t! We have some good memories from learning this one.

• Have lots of swaddle blankets ...Carters are bigger than Targets which makes swaddling easier
• Have lots of blankets for tummy time, one in pac-n-play and one in crib
• Use a bassinet especially one that can rock by the bed is nice in the beginning, and it is glorious when you graduate to her sleeping in her crib during the night!
• Side snap onsies are better than over the head as mine hates things pulled over her face
  
• Lay child on back to give vitamin (talk with nurse)
• Have a friend like Jamie Burton make you an awesome sling
• If baby has blocked tear duct, don't let the green gunk freak you out...at least that is what my doctor says

• Buy the Lansinoh cream and breast pads and be mentally prepared for fever in your boobs when your milk comes in (thankfully the discomfort subsides after a bit)
• Don't be shocked when you get home from the hospital and your baby doesn't sleep four hours in a row. I thought she did as she had gone to the nursery. I realized she wasn't sleeping but was being held by sweet nurses. Very unrealistic idea of newborn sleep patterns on my part!

I would love for people to add to this!

Happy Twenty Ten from The Mom

     I quit coming up with New Year's resolutions a long time ago because I don't think I have ever been able to keep any of the many that I have made. So...I am going to come up with a list of things that I will probably HAVE-TO-DO this year whether I want to or not....
    1.The Dentist. After avoiding this for a whole year (plus probably another year if I am honest), I will be compelled by the fact that I can no longer chew on the right side of my mouth to drag myself to the dentist and allow someone who looks like he is wearing a Hazmat suit put his giant paws into my mouth while he and his friends (he calls them technicians) poke around with all manner of shiny metal implements, scraping my gums raw in the process and looking for all those little corners and crevices where things called cavities love to hide. And somehow I am supposed to not only submit myself to this process not once, but twice each year, and to actually say thank you for taking me to the River Styx and back when I walk out of the office. In addition I also know that I am supposed to encourage my children to undergo this same torment all the while reminding them that they will thank me when they are old and still have all of their teeth. I, however, am not yet ready to thank my mother for introducing me to this heinous form of torture at ANY age. I also think dentures don't sound so bad.
   2. The PERPETUAL DIET. I think if Dante had ever been confronted with a post-modern post-menopausal twenty-first century more-than-middle-aged and aging-not-so-gently woman who lives in the midst of an exceedingly thin and body-obsessed culture, he would have included "the diet" as one of his levels of hell. It certainly is on my list. Furthermore it is never any fun getting on the scales at the beginning of the New Year and realizing you are about six or seven pounds away from Your-All-Time-High. This moment of reckoning comes of course the morning after you have consumed a rich and sumptuous four-course New Year's Eve meal accompanied by all manner of high calorie beverages that tasted good at the moment, but give you more than a pause the day after.
   3. The Cleaning. You know when you open the closet where the washer and dryer reside and can no longer maneuver your way through the detritus of life that has accumulated there to even know what lurks within, and your husband (who does his OWN laundry so you cannot assign blame to him in this area) has a slight conniption fit and asserts that he has had to scale the heights of Mount Everest while simply attempting to change the dryer setting, that some radical form of cleaning accompanied by numerous trips to the dump is more than likely in your near future. You are just hoping that he does not go into any other closets in the meantime because the cleaning might have to commence sooner rather than later and today you still want to be a slug.
     4. The EXERCISE. It's bad when you drive by the YMCA nearly every day and feel a deep desire to duck your head in shame because you pay good money each month for a membership that you hold in name only, but the truth is that you would rather go to the dentist, eat a very fattening and delicious meal with friends (even if you pay for it later) and deep clean your mess of a house than climb on a bicycle, lift a weight, or do anything that could remotely be construed as exercise (unless it involves a fork or a spoon and the last time I checked the calorie counter, using those implements did not even register on the scale). It is not that you don't need to, because point number 2 clearly indicates that you do, it is, honestly the fact that exercise is anathema to you. You seem to be allergic to it. Deeply allergic. But this is the year to begin to expose yourself in small doses to see if you can tolerate EXERCISE without keeling over.

Whew. Just thinking about the dentist, the diet, the cleaning, and the exercise has exhausted me. I think I am going to be forced to comfort and console myself with a bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese made with real cream, real butter, real eggs and real cheese and wait until tomorrow....What a realist I am!
Happy Twenty Ten!