Tidbits - What's on my mind!

Hi friends!

Today on Tidbits I am going to share a little bit of everything on my mind!

March of Dimes Walk
Yesterday was the walk! Because it was the first year that I did it I wasn't sure what to expect. I had these ideas in my head, but you can only be so prepared. Let me tell you, it was way more exciting and long than I expected. I certainly didn't expect 5 miles to be so long...it doesn't seem like it would be long, but holy cow! I am proud to say that we did finish the 5 miles with very few stops (towards the end I did start to get sick, thank goodness for Steak and Shake!) We finished strong and very proud to have been a part of such a great event. Yes, I even shed a tear or two or 70. There were a ton of other's there, though I have clue what the actual number was! My team consisted of Drew, Parker and me, as well as our friends Teresa, Kim and Kara and one of my blogger friends even walked with us (Thanks C.). We ran into one of Parker's nurses from the NICU! That was exciting and unexpected and so good! We didn't get to see anyone else, though she did say there were some others there! It was cool to see other family teams and their posters. Ours was out and I was so excited, I am also excited because we got to keep it if we wanted to! Parker did so so good! I was expecting a meltdown from being too hot or not getting a diaper change - but no, he sat in his stroller with his incredibly cute outfit and played with his toys and talked! I think we finished in an hour and 45 minutes. After the walk we spent the afternoon resting (while Parker spent it playing!). I am not too sore today, my blister on my foot hurts, and the random sunburn I got on only one arm and only on the back! Pictures to come - I haven't dumped the camera!

Saturday
Saturday was a good day too - just really busy. That morning, Parker and I got up early and went to a soccer game to cheer on M. He is the son of my good friend C and B and we promised him we'd come to a game. He adores Parker and visa versa. His team did well and won!!! We came home and our friend Teresa came over to help me make our team shirts! (We were the only team there with hand maid shirts!) After she left I headed to a coupon class hosted by Ellen of ThriftyChicMom. She is an insane (good insane) couponer and she shared her tips! I look forward to getting into it. I have clipped coupons, but I have never been so organized and thoughtful in my shopping. After that I went grocery shopping for a little bit of stuff and came home and relaxed.

Parker
This little man is giving mommy and daddy headaches! He gets into everything, pulls up on everything, bumps his head on everything (nothing serious) and is just running amuck! This weekend he has started crawling more and more and he pulls up on anything he can. It's crazy to think a week ago he barely did anything but roll and now...yah, not so much. He's such a big boy and he is doing so well!

Today I am going to do some spring cleaning! Our house is so cluttered and especially our walk in closet - A MESS! i am planning on getting some new clothes since I can't fit into most of my summer clothes from last year. We are going to tennessee in two weeks so I want to get some new things for that trip. Also, I need to get all the winter clothes put away too. Plus, with how sore I am it will be a good break before I am busy later this week!

I am done, thanks for reading my novel! I hope to get pictures up later today of the walk!

Tidbits: Dedications, Prayers, March and Party!!!

I am getting so excited!

- First of all, we are just a few weeks away from the big March of Dimes walk. I am so thrilled. I had planned to order team shirts, but they wouldn't be in by the time I need them, so maybe I will make them myself...but how do I do that? Any thoughts on what I need to make some cute, simple shirts for my team??? There is still time to donate to our team, we are super close to our goal, so please consider donating. Simply click on the button on the right hand side and donate away. Every little bit counts.

- Our church only does child dedications once a year. Honestly, we haven't had a need to do them more, our kids ministry was pretty small, this year though, it's grown. We do them each year on Mother's Day! And this year, on May 10, we will be dedicating Parker in the ceremony. I really look forward to it! I have invited my entire family. My in-laws have planned to come for months now, but I have been very nervous to invite my family. I am not going to lie, I guess I just expect them to say no or something. Anyways, I made their invites today and I am praying that some of them will be able to come. I don't get to see them often, it's hard to plan trips and they are all busy with their own stuff, so they don't get to travel much. I understand, I do, but sometimes it sucks! Anyway, I am nervous that some won't come because it's as church or because it's a 4 hour drive for a small ceremony and then some church preaching afterwards! I am hoping that enough come that maybe I could do Parker's birthday with them here. That would be awesome! Please pray for my family, that they will have the time and ability and desire to come. This dedication is so important to me. I want Parker to grow to know and love the Lord and I want to raise him in a Christian home with lots of love!

- Come to think of it, on the praying part, pray for me. I recently posted about being in a funk, still am, but feeling some what better. I am really dealing with though some mothering issues. I am going through a "I hate that I have a preemie" period. I by no means hate my son, in fact, he keeps me going, but I just struggle sometimes with his challenges and remembering that yes, he's 10 months, but developmentally, he's 7.5. I am scared that because he doesn't babble yet, he will never babble. I just need some peace!

- Mark your calendar friends: May 30th - Parker's 1st Birthday Party!!!! I am going to have it here at the club house at my complex and also plan that we have a fun time at the playground that's beside it. I am thinking of maybe Elmo Party (or just seasame street) and doing a fun scavenger hunt out side at the playground and surrounding area!!!! Not sure though yet, it's just basic thoughts! I am planning to invite my "family" at church; i.e. life group friends and their kids, other's I know who are friends with Parker. Maybe my family can't be here, but at least my church family can be and I love them and I know they love Parker! I may do a some other's too, I am thinking of inviting a couple of Parker's preemie buddies we met at Riverside and a few friends from Cincy. I have a lot to plan and want to do it on the cheap! But I also want to really enjoy my baby's first birthday!!! He's like, awesome and stuff!

Ok, well, I am going to go, Parker and I are meeting daddy at the mall he works at and we are going to get Easter outfits!

TidBits: HAHA moments, TN, Grocery, Parker

It's time for another issue of Tidbits. Tidbits is where I basically write all that is in my head. A little bit of this, a little bit of that.

1) I am happy to report that Mr. Parker precious pants is back to his normal breathing self. Last time he had any form of his inhaler was a week ago! He is acting as if nothing really happened. I still have to be careful with him, but I think it's all over with. I hope that his breathing issues never happen again, but with every challenge I realize that I am a great mom and know my son. I am sad in a weird way that he is no long on his steroids. They cleared up his eczema beautifully, but it's back...but at least it's not every part of his body, it's really just his cheeks and knees and his arms. I am continually rubbing lotion on him. It's frustrating, but with this nicer weather, it's not nearly as bad as it had been!
- 2 Quick Questions: 1) How do I teach Parker to use a cup? well a sippy actually. Is there anything I can do to help him realize you don't chew it, you suck? 2) If you baby has an allergic reaction to something, how do you know the difference between that and say just eczema?
Now I am not saying that Parker had an allergic reaction, but I just was wondering if maybe part of his breathing issue was due to one. It was the first day he had tried beef and he ended up in hospital. Granted I think his breathing had started out that day being more rough than normal, but not as bad until the evening. I feel like I am questioning myself and all I do for Parker. But maybe the hospital would have noticed if it were an allergic reaction - don't you think?

2) Moving along - I have to say, I find myself amused by random things. For example today, I am leaving the grocery. I am getting ready to pull out of my spot and I see this precious little old lady attempting to pull into a handicap spot. She totally missed it and ends up parking in the striped part. She sits there for a minute and realizes she didn't make it into the actual spot. I don't know, but I found it humorous. You know what else I find humorous? That I hate drinking wine, but I use it to cook with. They say only cook with wine you would drink - well what do you do when you wouldn't drink it? I think it tastes awful personally, I love cooking with it though because the alcohol cooks out. I think it's funny. Also funny - attempting to purchase wine when I know squat about it.

3) Speaking of the grocery - I have found the perfect time for me to go - 10am on Monday morning. I scored some awesome meat deals, there was no one in the store really, I got to take my time and compare prices and think through things. I loved it. And Drew got to be with daddy here at home so I didn't have to deal with him (though he would have been fine!) I am attempting to use coupons more...it helps!

4) I am getting so excited and giddy about May! On May 10th our church will be holding a dedication time during service. I will be dedicating Parker at that service (no it is not baptism). It happens to be mother's day too, what a great day. Also exciting, Drew's parents are coming down to be there during Parker's dedication. I am hoping maybe some of my family with come from Indiana, it would be awesome to have them, but I don't want to pressure them. Anyways, on the 11th - that monday - we are headed to Tennessee for a week. We are going to Knoxville and I finally get to meet Drew's grandma and grandpa and they will get to meet Parker too. We are going to go to Gatlinburg, Panther Creek State Park and other fun places. We are also going to Mt. Vernon indiana to see Drew's aunt and uncle. We may get to stop in Nashville! I am so excited for our trip, I can't wait to go on a proper family vacation.

This weekend we are heading to Cincinnati to see our friend's The Vinson's who moved to MN a few years back. I haven't seem them in almost a year and I miss them. Heather and I were roommates and I love her to death. I turned to her a lot during my pregnancy and even the first months of Parker's life. She is one of my BFFs! I can't wait. I also get so see some other college buddies too, we are having a cookout at the Reasor's; Brandee was my roommate the last year of college. And the Hobb's - almost all of the CCU posse.

I think that is all I have for today, other than to stay in prayer for Stellan and the MckMama family (see my other post from today.)

Love you all! Glad to be back in the swing of blogging!

Tidbits: Lousy Weekend, Parker, Baby Food Advice

Hello Friends,

- I am not entirely sure how to start this post today. It's been a hard weekend and I want you to know that I appreciate your praying for me, Drew and Parker. I also would like to ask that you keep doing so, as this is a long process we are going through. I wish I could share with you the details of what is happening and honestly I could, but I am not comfortable sharing them with you all. It's not at all that I don't trust you guys, I do, I write things on my blog that I might not tell even my family (well that's not true because I know some read this!) but still. I just feel in order for Drew and I to strengthen our marriage and work through this hard time, it's best that we keep this between us for the most part. I hope that you all can understand. I guess the broad specifics of what to pray for would be, healing from hurt, healing in both mine and Drew's hearts, that God would help us rebuild some things in out life and that our marriage would come out stronger on the end of this season. One of the worst parts of this is the timing of it all....lets just say Valentine's Day was HORRIBLE. So thankfully tonight our friend Mandi is coming to watch Parker and we are going out to dinner at a nice restaurant. I am excited! *Oh and in regards to my previous post about accusations and the ending of a friendship - this is sorta related but mostly not!* I will do my best to keep prayer requests up (I will make a special thing on the side of my blog so you can always find what to specifically pray for!

- Parker is amazing. I thought I would let you know that. The kid has learned he can shreek - oh yah, fun times in our house. Mommy normally has a small headache by the end of the day thanks to Mr. Parker's screeching fits.

- Ok, question time. I make my own baby food, but here's my problem - peaches, pears and banana's keep growing brown quickly...any thoughts on how to make that not happen? I know lemon juice...but I don't think I want to put that in for parker right now. If I cook them, will that help them keep their color better? I am so annoyed by this!

I should probably go and start getting around for our date for tonight! Thank you all for loving us!

Tidbits - Friendship, Guilt, Drama, Fri. 13th stinks!

Another tidbits post - this one, just as random as the last!

- Yesterday was a very hard day for hubby and me. A very close friend of ours has been going through some rough stuff and we have been supporting her the best we can. Well yesterday it all came to a head. She kicked out her hubby and while at her parents her hubby and mom got into it. He decided to draw us into the middle of it and make some STUPID and COMPLETELY unwarranted accusations. (He is convinced my hubby and his wife are together behind his back. I should note that I trust Drew 100%, I know he is faithful and I know that "meanie head" was making these accusations out of anger and hurt. He wants to take the heat of himself and put it on someone else who's done nothing wrong.) I of course was hurt and angry by said accusation and I know, as should everyone else that it's total poo and that the ding dong is just that - a ding dong! (I think it's all be resolved as of right now.) Anyways our friend has decided that she thinks its best that none of us talk right now, as she doesn't want us to get hurt anymore. She won't return calls, emails, texts, nothing and it hurts. We love her dearly and we don't want her to go through all of this alone, but if this is what she feels is best we have to trust that. I prayed hard last night for the situation...and I continue to pray! I trust that God will get us all through this!

- Also yesterday I some how found myself in the middle of another problem. While I can't go into details with this one - I will tell you three key words - drama, anger, pregnancy issues. God knows the situation, so feel free to pray for it! I am concerned for my friend and her pregnancy and the unneeded drama.

- And these two things alone are why I hated Friday the 13th!

- However, I got my prize in the mail I won during the contest carnival I posted about a few weeks ago. It's a really cute keychain made for me, with the colors I wanted by a very talented blogger! I love it - its brown with blue dots! I love love love it! When I got it, it made my Friday the 13th just a little bit better!

- I am still reading through the book, Motherhood: The Guilt That Keeps On Giving and I am working through understand true guilt and false guilt. I would say about 90% of the guilt I feel is false guilt, maybe even more! I've learned that a lot of times with guilt in mommyhood, it's false guilt, it isn't that you did anything wrong but you feel you did. For example - one of the biggest things I feel guilty for is the circumstance surrounding Parker's birth and then stay at the NICU. I feel so guilty about it - but the truth it, I did nothing wrong, in fact I did everything right. So why can't I let go of this guilt? I don't know, but I am working on it. One thing I do feel guilty for that I am actually guilt of is ignoring Parker when he cries at times. Sometimes I simply do not want to deal with it...so I ignore it. Then 2 minutes later - I deal with it. False vs. True guilt - vague vs. obvious. It makes sense. The great thing I was reminded of is that Parker won't remember half the things I feel guilty for. He's not going to remember being poked by several needles, he's not going to remember me accidently biting him when he had his hand near my mouth and I was talking, he's not going to remember me spilling milk all over his face when I forgot to tighten the nipple and cap on the bottle....well unless I write about it and he finds this blog someday...in which case - Parker, I adore and and I am sorry! So what about you, do you know true guilt vs. false guilt? Maybe make a list and see what you realize, you'd be surprised! I am almost done with this book and will be moving on to a new one. Which of course I will share with you!

- Happy Valentines Day!

- Tomorrow my little sister turns 20, wow...I feel old (yah, I am only 26)

- Off to make some grilled cheese and tomato soup...mmmmmmmmmmm!