Giggly boy

Hanging out with his girly

Umm… I’m not sure what to say about this picture. There’s nothing quite as cute as thick rolly thighs crammed into some leg warmers.

Well, last week was the bi-annual Kids Exchange at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. For those of you who don’t know, it’s the biggest consignment sale in the area, and big doesn’t even begin to describe this event. People who volunteer to work at the sale and people who consign get to go in before the general public on Wednesday and Thursday to shop. I didn’t work this time, but Carrie consigned and let me have her guest pass, so we went on Thursday. We got there about 8:30 and left around 2:30. Then I went back about 5:30 and got home at 9:45…. it was a long day. It’s funny because I was thinking about Collin all day since I was buying him things, but he wasn’t with me. I missed him sooooooo much. When I got home, Aaron had already fed him and put him to sleep, so I missed out on seeing him all day long. That was a bit too long for me. On Friday morning, Aaron brought him to me in the bed. Normally we snuggle a little bit, but he was a little fussy, and I could swear he was mad at me for leaving him all day on Thursday.

Collin's new hat and gloves from the KE. Those gloves came in handy in the snow!

When you first walk in the door of the sale, you are facing the toys. There are mounds and mounds and mounds of toys. Anything you can imagine. It’s a sea of pink Barbies, blue Thomas the trains, army green GI Joes, and purple My-little-ponies. Way overstimulating. There are Elmo Dancing toys going off, fire trucks with their sirens blaring, musical toys playing cutesy little songs, and drum sets pounded from all sides. It really is nauseting at some level.

Collin enjoying his new exersaucer. Nana bought this to keep at her house so he has somewhere to sit when he is at her house on Tuesdays.

Collin and I trying out our new Moby. I love this thing.

One thing I know for sure: if you have a new baby, and you don’t mind buying used items, you should could everything you need plus more at the Kids Exchange. Too bad they dont have some kind of registry or something.

Last night it started snowing about 8 o’clock and it snowed all night long. This morning the snow turned to sleet and it has been sleeting all day long. It is so beautiful on the ground. I was so happy it snowed on a Friday night because now we are all snowed in for the weekend together! Nothing like being snowed in with my two favorite boys.

Home sweet home!

Mommy and Collin in the snow!

Two little snow bunnies

Umm... he looks really uncomfortable here...

Me and my babies

Bailey loves the snow. She romps all around and throws snow into the air!

All tuckered out from the snow.

This picture was hard to take, as Collin was actually leaning forward and sucking on the LCD screen on my camera while I was taking the picture!

 

Umm... I think Collin is loungin in his "recliner" here.....

Well, it has finally warmed up a bit here in arctic Raleigh (haha- don’t laugh all you PA residents!). We were able to get out and about yesterday and we took Collin for a walk. He sits in the front of his stroller like a big boy now. He thinks he is so big. Here are some pics from our walk.

WOW! I can see everything from here!

Cruisin

Unfortunately I just saw on the news that it is supposed to get cold again this weekend.   Poor little Collin boy has yet to experience the world! Too bad he was born at the end of summer and by the time he was old enough to go around town, it was too cold. Next time maybe I’ll have a winter baby.

 

 

Collin has been doing so well with his rice cereal, so today we started him on a veggie: carrots! I felt so domestic as I was pureeing them myself. I have decided to make all of his baby food. It’s healthier, fresher, tastes better, and cheaper. Monday is my usual grocery shopping day, so this will also be my puree day and I will make up Collin’s food for the week to freeze. I love my new Baby Cubes (thanks forthe suggestion Jenny!) that hold his food. Super easy to use, wash, and store. I also made a pear puree that he will try next week. I’m using the book Top 100 Baby Purees as a guide and I love it! Following pears, Collin will try a bunch of other iron-rich foods.

Most of the books I have read and the pediatrician said to phase new foods in 3 days at a time so you can make sure there is no allergy. Collin had a little bit of a sensitive stomach when we first started rice cereal though (now we mix with prune juice!), so his over-protective worry-wart daddy wants to phase new foods in over a week. Works in my favor though, because I don’t have to do so much pureeing!

Here’s a picture of my boy “enjoying” his first taste of carrots.

Well.. I use the term "enjoying" loosely... very loosely.

He looks, well, shocked.

Should I be afraid that my son will not like my cooking since he spit out the first thing I ever made for him?!?!? 

Aaron keeps telling me I need to watch the news more so I know what is going on in this world. Honestly though, the news frightens me. All I hear is about political corruption, crimes beyond my wildest imagination, and tragedies from one continent to another. I don’t want to be ignorant of all that is going on, but sometimes the things I hear really scare me. It forces me to look at the depravity of mankind around me, and I find it so unsettling and so scary. As the days go by, I see that the Lord’s coming is eminent. Though I am convinced of my own salvation, I fear that there are many that I know and love that will not be ready when He comes.

I feel like I hear about something bad happening to people that I know all the time these days. Maybe life has always been like this but it wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized it all. Anyways, I was reading last week about the story of Joseph in the Bible. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, he had every right to be angry with them. However, years later when he was reunited with them, he tells them not to worry about what they did to him, because it was part of God’s plan for Joseph. This is what it says in the King James:

Gen 45:5-8   Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

I am in awe of the spiritual maturity that Joseph displays here, recognizing the providence of God. I think this is something that times does for us. When we are in the midst of troubled waters, it is often hard to see the Lord at work in our lives. It is hard to recognize his plan for us. But as time passes, we  can see how God was with us all along, working alongside us, preserving us, and using us. I only hope that when the hard times come, for they surely will, that I too can remember Joseph and recognize that sometimes God brings calamity to show his mighty power and wisdom.

I think Collin looks so cute in baby blue.

I’ve been behind in blogging lately, so I thought I would just post some updated photos of my little man. He is getting sooooo big.

Haha. While I am typing this right now, Aaron is changing one of Collin’s not-so-fresh-diapers. He’s having a cow and acting like he can’t breathe. He’s so hilarious.

Mrs. Marilyn bought Collin this sweet little track suit for Christmas. I think he looks like an Olympian. Hehe.

Collin approaches life with an open mind... and an open mouth.

 

Two pals chillin in their bumbos. Can't you just see them 16 years from now chillin in their hot rods?

Last week Sal and I took the boys to the mall to walk since it was so cold outside. It actually started snowing while we were inside. Anyways, here was Max's adorable little snow gear.

Makayla clobbering Collin....again

How cute is my little guy?!?!?!

This is the hat my mom bought me on the day I tried to steal another one (see blog below). My Aunt Ellie got me this for Christmas. Well, actually she got me one that was too big, but I traded it for this one. It’s been so cold that the ear flaps on this one have kept my ears warm!