Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby! 4 years ago I married the love of my life and looked forward to what the future had in store for us. We had both just graduated college and had lots of changes and transitions ahead of us. A lot of people say that the first year is the hardest, but I thought the first year was so much fun. Each year after has only gotten better and with the blessing of our first child, I can only imagine the best is yet to come!

I am so thankful for my husband and all he does to provide for our family. I'm thankful for his spiritual leadership and his dedication to the Lord. I am thankful for his hard-working, disciplined, and determined personality. He is an amazing husband and father, and I know I am so blessed.

The past 4 years have had their share of hard times, petty arguments, and disappointments. But those times don't even begin to compare to the amount of joy, fun, and laughter we've had. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

6 Months Old!

Yesterday, Will turned 6 months old, and today, we went in for his 6 month check up. It is hard to believe he is already half a year old! I remember I had just told everyone I was pregnant around this time last year.

His check up was great. He is 25 3/4 inches long and weighs 14 lbs. 13 oz. Still a little on the small side, but the pediatrician said that is perfectly normal for breastfed babies. Especially breastfed babies with small parents! He is healthy and strong, and that's what is most important.

It seems like the past month brought so many changes. He began sitting by himself, which is nice for both of us. He loves sitting in the floor playing with his toys, and I love that he can entertain himself without laying down all the time! He still loves his exersaucer, and he loves to jump! He wears my arms out daily by standing in my lap and jumping away. My biceps will be huge in a few more weeks! He doesn't seem too interested in crawling. He will scoot on his belly to get to a toy that is out of reach, and he scoots all around on his bottom when he is playing, but he really prefers to sit or stand.

He is becoming very social, and even though he still has a little bit of separation anxiety, it is getting much better. He babbles and makes noises all day long. Sometimes I wonder what in the world is going through his little mind. He has the sweetest giggle, and it's fun to find new ways to make him laugh. Peek-a-boo is one of his favorite games and usually gets a big laugh out of him.

His eating is going great. We recently switched to a 3 1/2 - 4 hour feeding schedule, so he nurses 5 times a day. He typically eats solids 3 times a day, although sometimes it is just twice. So far he has tried rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, pears, peaches, green beans, and squash. Bananas and green beans are his favorites, and he really doesn't like peaches. He has mastered the sippy cup, but he really likes drinking out of a "big" cup. I let him have sips of my water at dinner every night. He also loves ice, especially Sonic ice...a boy after my own heart.

His nighttime sleep habits haven't changed too much, but his naps have become more consistent. He goes to bed anywhere from 7:15 to 7:45 and wakes up between 6:15 and 6:45. He takes a nap around 8:15 or 8:30 and naps anywhere from 1 1/2 - 2 hours. He takes another nap around noon for about 45 minutes, and then again around 3:00 for 45 minutes to an hour. He is also getting much better at handling it if he misses a nap. He'll usually be a little crankier than normal, but much better than if he skipped a nap before!

He recently started taking baths in the big tub, and he loves splashing in the water and playing with his bath toys. I'm hoping this means he will like the swimming pool. We will see!

He has been working on two teeth for awhile now. I can see both of them right at the surface, and I just know they are about to burst through any day now. I feel like he is too little to have teeth. Babies shouldn't have teeth, right? He just keeps growing up so fast! I can't get over it.

I could go on and on about him, but for your sake, I won't. I just love him so much. Every day I look at him and think how blessed I am to be his mom. Thank you, God, for such a precious little boy!

Random Thoughts

So, I feel like I have all kinds of random things going through my head (this is pretty typical). Instead of writing a coherent post on one topic, I decided to make a list of all these random thoughts. Maybe this will help me sort them out and make something productive out of this day.

1. Thunder basketball has taken over my life. As many of you know, I DO NOT stay up late. 10:00 is late for me! However, the NBA playoffs have changed all this. I'm so excited to see the Thunder doing so well. It is great for the team and great for our city and state. I feel like I don't know what to do on the nights they don't have a game. I think about them, I read about them, I watch everything I can about them...I've even been dreaming about them! I'm afraid I'm starting to cross some sort of unhealthy line here. As much as I don't want the playoffs to end, I'm afraid it will be necessary for me to regain some sense of normalcy in my life. Until then...Go Thunder!

2. I tried McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade a few days ago, and I was extremely disappointed. It was WAY too sugary and cost almost $2.00 for the small size. It was a little like drinking straight syrup. I threw away over half of it becaues the few sips I took gave me a stomach ache. I will say, I do not like sugary drinks at all...most kinds of Gatorade, regular soda, and even some fruit juices are too sweet for me. If you love sugary drinks, you will probably like this. If not, don't waste your money.

3. I am way excited about what God is doing at Village Baptist Church! Theron and I have been at Village for almost 4 years. Like many other churches, it has experienced more than its fair share of ups and downs just in the time we have been there. We have loved our church all along, and it hurt us to experience those difficult times. But God is faithful! I feel like He has given our church new life and a fresh start. There is an attitude of excitement and a willingness among the congregation to serve and reach out to the community around us. I am so excited about our new pastor, Jimmy Kinnaird, and the leadership he brings. It is very refreshing, and I know God will use us if we will allow Him to do so.

4. I'm really beginning to love this whole stay-at-home mom gig! As Will gets older and the days get warmer, I'm beginning to see the many benefits of this job! I'm actually probably starting to enjoy it a little too much. Will is getting to the point where he has a little bit of separation anxiety...and I am too. It's getting harder and harder to leave him as he's beginning to understand that I am leaving. Hopefully, this will eventually get easier for both of us.

5. Simple things make my life complete...coffee, a good book, Thunder basketball, my sweet boy, my awesome hubby, great family, great friends, and probably some ice cream. Life doesn't get much better than that.

So, it's been awhile

Hey everyone! It's been a little while since I've posted anything. It's not because I don't have anything to post...it's because life has been busy! I have this little thing called a 5-month-old boy that keeps me on my toes pretty much every day. Besides that, I am working hard in my Arbonne business; spending time with family; losing sleep because of Thunder basketball games and a teething child; trying to keep up with all the gifts I need to buy for holidays, babies, weddings, and graduations; playing in the park, at the zoo, and anywhere else I can be outside; and trying to squeeze in a few workouts here and there...you know, the usual.

Anyway, in the midst of all my "stuff," I haven't set aside much time for blogging. I also haven't set aside much time for showering or housework, but at least the important things get done.

A few nights ago, I was at an Arbonne meeting that is held monthly here in Oklahoma City. That particular night, Executive National Vice President Cecilia Stoll was speaking. She is from Edmond and is one of the top income earners in all of Arbonne. She is a wonderful Christian woman, and she has an incredible story. That night at the meeting, she posed the question "If you keep doing what you're doing, what will your life look like 5 years from now?"

She had asked herself this question when she decided to really go for it in her Arbonne business, and when that question was asked of me, it hit me pretty hard.

Five years ago, I was a college student with lots of my "big questions" unanswered. What kind of job would I have? Who would I marry? Where would I live? Would I have kids? What would they be like?  Just like so many other college students, I felt like some of the most important things in my life were still a mystery, and I looked forward to them with anticipation.

However, now, I am at a point in my life where all of those "big questions" have been answered. So what now? Do I just stop working and dreaming and thinking about my future? I don't think so. I think God has created me for a reason. He has given my life purpose and meaning, and I should use every moment I am given to live the life He has planned for me. A life of abundance...not complacence.

So, over the past week, I've really been thinking: If I keep doing what I'm doing, what will my life look like in 5 years? When I really think about it, I'm not so sure I like the answer. I love my life, and I'm very thankful for everything I have, but could things be better? Yes. Could I be better? Yes. Could I live my life more effectively? Yes.

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If I want my life to be different, I have to change what I'm doing. Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is just crazy.

So what am I going to do? I'm going to dream big, set goals for myself and my family, and work hard to achieve them. Most importantly, I'm going to seek God and His will for my life, knowing if I delight myself in Him, he will give me the desires of my heart.

If you keep doing what you're doing, what will your life look like in 5 years? Just something to think about.

5 Months Old!

Saturday, Will was officially 5 months old! Can this really be true? Is my baby really 5 months old? It really does go by as quickly as everyone tells you it will!

Let's see...this month has brought so many changes in my sweet boy. At his 4 month check up he weighed 12 lbs. 8 oz. and was 24.5 inches long. We did an unofficial weight on our scale at home a few days ago, and I think he is getting close to 15 lbs. now!

We started solids right around 4 months, but it took a couple of weeks for Will to really catch on. He's now a pro and loves meal time! Right now his diet consists of rice cereal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. He loves the bananas and sweet potatoes but is not a huge fan of the cereal. I'm trying to introduce one new food a week, and it seems to be working really well. This week we will be trying avocado, as I'm trying to get him to like something that's not sweet! He eats solids 2 or 3 times a day and still has 6 liquid feedings every day (eating about every 3 hours).

I am trying to adjust to him being awake for longer periods of time throughout the day. I like this because it makes it easier to get out and do things away from the house. I don't like this because it is difficult to get anything done around the house! Sometimes, he will play for 15-30 minutes at a time in the Exersaucer, on the floor, or in the Bumbo. Other times, he only wants to play if his mommy is giving him her full attention. I have so much fun playing with him, but I'm noticing that my housework is falling behind. Oh well. We will adjust to this new stage just like we've adjusted to all the previous stages.

Like I mentioned above, Will loves playing in his Exersaucer and on the floor with his books and toys. He LOVES being outside, so I try to spend at least a little bit of time outside with him every day. We go for walks around the neighborhood, pick leaves off the tree, and play with toys on the back porch. He also loves being high in the air. Theron will carry him around on his shoulders and even on top of his head! Will thinks it's great. He also really likes jumping while we hold him in our laps and being tossed in the air (carefully, of course). He is getting much better at sitting, although he really prefers to stand. He can roll all over the place now, which makes it much more difficult to just let him play in the floor by himself. He likes reading his books, and he is starting to really love bath time, especially splashing!

His personality is definitely shining through, and it's a little bit scary. I can already see that he is strong willed and easily frustrated. I'm not sure where he would get either of these traits...it couldn't be from his mom or dad! We had a week where he refused to take his bottle. That was a trying week for all of us! He gets so frustrated when he wants a toy that is just out of reach or when he is done playing and wants someone to come pick him up. He has also become quite the momma's boy, which has been frustrating and flattering all at the same time.

I love him more and more every day, and I am so thankful for every moment I get to spend with him. I love his sweet smiles, his precious giggles, and his cuddles, hugs, and kisses. Just this week, he has started attacking my face, like he is going to eat it, haha. I think it is his attempt at returning all the kisses I give him every day. Of course there are moments of screaming and crying and frustration, but there are so many more moments of fun and laughter and cuddles.

He is so sweet, and his smile can just melt my heart. I think my favorite time every day is when I go get him out of his crib in the morning. I look down at him and say, "Good morning, Will." Then, he looks up at me, gives me a huge grin and lifts his arms up. Best. Feeling. Ever. I love him so very much and can't wait for all the wonderful moments to come!

My Thunder Playoff Experience

As I told you last week, Theron and I got to go to the Thunder game last Wednesday. It was game two of their playoff series with Denver, and it was so much fun! My sweet sister came and stayed with us and kept Will for the evening, so we could enjoy a night out. We appreciated it SO much!

I hadn't been to a Thunder game this entire season, so I was really looking forward to it. I always love going, and I knew the playoffs would be even more exciting than a regular game. You could feel the energy as you walked up to the OKC Arena. They had live music, inflatables, and all kinds of other activities set up right outside for everyone to enjoy. Everyone was handed what I thought was banner as they walked through the door. When we got to our seats, I saw people folding them up accordian-style like a fan. I eventually found out that they were the world's greatest noisemakers, helping to make it louder than I had even imagined. Everyone also had a blue Thunder shirt laying on their seat to wear during the game. I was so pumped!

I definitely was not disappointed. The Thunder led from start to finish, completely dominating the Nuggets. While a really close game is fun sometimes, I kind of enjoyed that the game was stress free. The atmosphere also lived up to the hype. It was so loud that my head was pounding and my ears were ringing, but I absolutely loved it! There was one point in the game where the entire crowd was on its feet, cheering loudly and banging their noisemakers. You could see the appreciation on the players faces and you could see the energy it added to their demeanor. I've mentioned before how sporting events often make me emotional, and this was one of those times. Watching this scene play out before me almost brought tears to my eyes.

It is amazing what the Thunder have done for Oklahoma City. In just a few short years, they have gone from being one of the worst teams in the league, to being a true playoff contender. The entire city (and state for that matter) have rallied around them. As I looked across the crowd that night, I loved the sense of unity that could be felt throughout the arena. It was as if everyone had put aside their differences for that night to join together to support "their" team. People of every size, shape, color, religion, political affiliation, and even those loyal to red or orange all stood together in their bright blue cheering on the Thunder.

Because I'm always so deep (ha!), this really caused me to think. What if the Church...not just my church, not just your church, but The Church...the body of Christ came together with this kind of unity? What if we could put aside our differences to focus on the commonalities we share? What if people of every size, shape, color, and even denomination (gasp!) came together for the common purpose of sharing the love of Christ with a world that is in desperate need of that very thing? If we can do this for a sports team, why can't we do it for our Savior who gave up his life for us?

I love Thunder basketball. It is so much fun, and it has truly impacted and changed Oklahoma City forever. It just makes me think of the impact we could make on this city (state, nation, world) for Christ, if we could be so passionate about and unified around Him.

Life Update

Is it Wednesday already? Sometimes I feel like a whole day goes by without me even realizing it. Anyway, we're already to the middle of another week, and April will have come and gone before we know it.

We haven't had too many really exciting things going on in our lives, but we have had a lot of normal "stuff" going on in our lives, so I thought I would give a brief update on what our family has been up to lately.

Will - He is growing daily. I'm always amazed when an outfit fits him one day and doesn't fit 3 days later. I'm afraid one morning I will go to get him out of bed, and he will have burst out of his clothes overnight. He is also learning new things every day and is developing quite a little personality. He finally rolled from back to tummy, and now he cannot get enough of it. I don't know how many times I have put him down to play on his playmat, turned my back for just a minute, only to find him completely off the playmat when I turn back around. He is also beginning the first steps toward crawling. He can't get his belly off the ground yet, but he moves his arms and legs furiously, trying to get to his toys, books, etc. It really is quite entertaining.

He is also eating solids on a regular basis now. He doesn't love his rice cereal, but he is getting much better about eating it. He tried bananas for the first time yesterday and loved them! I'm thinking he might have a sweet tooth like his momma.

Last Sunday, he got to participate in his first ever Easter egg hunt. Of course, he had no idea what was going on, but I was really excited to get some cute pictures!

I can't wait to give him his Easter basket full of goodies this Sunday! I got him lots of fun stuff, and I found the sweetest little book called, "What is Easter?" It does a good job of teaching the true meaning of Easter in a way little ones can understand. Not that I think Will will really get a grasp on the meaning of Easter this year, but it's never too early to start teaching him about Jesus and what He did for us.

Theron - As you all know, Tax Season is over! Theron might actually have a life outside of work again. We are all very excited to have made it through this busy time. Yesterday, he enjoyed the day off, spending the morning at home with us and the afternoon golfing with some of his co-workers. He has also started running again and will be on a relay for the Memorial Marathon coming up on May 1. Other than that, he is enjoying working in the yard and getting things ready in the garden. I can't wait to reap the fruits of his labor!

As for me, I'm working hard at keeping up with my growing boy. He is so much fun these days, and I'm loving every minute. I'm also working hard at growing my Arbonne business. It is something I enjoy because it gives me a little bit of "grown-up" time. I actually really like working, and Arbonne gives me the ability to do that while I stay at home with my little guy. I have set some business goals for myself and look forward to working hard and reaching them! It is also nice to provide a little bit of income for our family. Extra income never hurts! I am really looking forward to summer...filled with lots of swimming and play dates in the park! Since I'm not in an office all day, I might actually get a tan this year! It's been awhile since that happened.

I am, however, most excited about tonight! My sister is coming to babysit Will (and to see me, of course), so Theron and I can go to the Thunder game! The 2nd playoff game to be exact. I am beyond pumped. I haven't been to a game all season (having a baby really does change your life), and I can't wait to be a part of the craziness that is the playoffs in Oklahoma City.

So, there's a little bit of what's been going on in our lives. Happy Wednesday and Thunder Up!