Anna 4 - 5 months

I cannot believe my baby is 5 months old!!  I'm so far behind.  I feel like my entire life has been behind for about 2 months now.  I am counting down the days until summer.  I have so much to catch up on when Eric is home!! :)

So at 4 months my chunky monkey was:  (well, I gotta find the paper, can't remember most)
height: 24??  70% ish
weight:  16 pounds 3 ounces (the week before she was 15 pounds 9 ounces...10 ounces in 7 days!)  83% ish
head circumference:  who knows  50%

Once we figured out she had reflux and started medicating, she got much better.  She's sleeping better and better.  She usually goes from around 7 at night until 8 or so in the morning with one night feeding, usually around 4 or so.  The problem is that mommy isn't going to bed until after midnight, so I'm tired.  I got in a bad schedule when E was home for two weeks at Chrsitmas, and I haven't fixed it yet. 

Ok, more about Anna.  She rolled over back to tummy on January 7th, which was about 4.5 months.  She beat C and M by a few weeks.  She's a pretty happy baby, and even takes all the silly bows and flowers I put on her head.  She's definitely going to be a red head.....if she ever gets hair :).  I think she looks SO similar to Cara when Cara was little.  Everyone sees Micah with the red hair, but all I see is Cara.  Ok, I have more to write, but bed is calling my name.  Actually, it's Eric and he's cleaning the cabinets.  Yeah, we're putting the house on the market in 5 days because we're crazy!!

God things

I haven't been blogging.  Not because I don't want to, and definitely not because I don't have blog posts writing themselves in my head, especially as I'm trying to fall asleep, but because life gets busy.  I do not want my lack of posting to equate to lack of God's movement in my life.  I have absolutely (again) been re-falling in love with my savior, His undeserving love for me, and in turn, the love I should show others. 

I've also been scared!  God's been moving in my life, and has called me to do something I could never do in my own self.  This year, I'm memorizing the book of Ephesians.  I've only told 4 people about this, and didn't really want to tell others in case I failed.  Especially since I'm only on verse three.  But it's been amazing focusing on just one verse, even just the intro to a letter.  God's word is all inspired.  I'm so glad he focused my brain because there were so many things I wanted to focus on this year.  Increase our giving sacrificially.  More intentional time with the kids diving into God's word.  Losing weight.  LOTS of weight.  But, as I focus on His word, things are falling into place.  I wanted to join the YMCA.  I had been a member in the past, and it felt like the only way I could get any kind of exercise in with the 3 kids at home.  However, I didn't want it to be a burden on our budget.  We already qualify for 25% off the monthly fee, but $65 is $65.  So I prayed a lot last month about sending customers to my etsy shop, so I could pay for the YCMA via our 'extra' income that's not in our budget...since we never know what's it's going to be.  He had blessed me by the third day of January!!  And he's already blessed me with the first few months of the year :).  Plus, when we went to sign up, there is now a 1 parent w/kids option.  It's always been there, but they wouldn't let you use it unless you were a single parent household.  However, I asked about it because Eric never has time to go and they said we could have it, that they had changed their policies :).  So it's even less expensive.  And God has placed on my heart about what better to do with my Misty's Blessings income.  More on that to come. 

I just can't praise Jesus enough.  Cara is doing great in her Awana's, and learning more and more verses.  And now Micah likes saying them with her so he's learning some as well.  Anna is getting on a better night schedule and is now going between 8.5 and 12 hours between night feedings (so she usually eats around 7 and doesn't eat again until at least 4 or 5, if not later).  Eric is just amazing.  His love for his 'kids' at school, his new found love of guitar, his leadership of our house.  I love that man.  He and I work so well together, I'm so please to be his 'helpmate' of the last almost 10 years! 

If you're looking for some encouraging blogs to read here are two:
http://tonyalatorre.wordpress.com/
This is a woman that goes to our church.  She's in Uganda (almost on her way home) adopting her baby girl.  I've had 2 of her sons in various things at church, and they are loving, Godly boys.  It's been great reading her adoption journey.  But even better, is reading about physical ways we can help the children in the orphanages and schools in Uganda.  What a place they live in.  Why God chose me for America and not a life like that, I'll never know, but I praise Him for where I am.  And I want a heart like his for those kids and families.

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/
This is another mom blog.  She has an amazing love for her God and a unique writing style.  I was particularly drawn to her post about I don't my kids to be happy.  I'm right with her!!  (I'll post link later, anna is waking up) :)

Savings

Hi!

You know I love a great deal--and someone just showed me this site today.  It's very similar to Groupon (which I love, don't get me wrong, but I'm not buying skin treatments these days....), but it's local to Sugar Land/Katy and local moms suggest local businesses!!  As part owner of not one but two local businesses, I'm very interested in this!  If you'd like to see if Juice In The City has a site for your city, or what they're offering here near me, click the widget below!

Daily Deals on Juice in the City

Did this really just happen?

Let me set the stage.  We picked Cara up from school at 2:30.  Walked in the door, looked at all she had done in school today.  She received a candy cane from her teacher, which I let her have, and I gave Micah about 1/3 of one of our ones from Christmas, to keep them busy while I fed Anna.  A few minutes later Micah is done and comes to me with sticky fingers.  I asked Cara to go get me the wipes from the bathroom so I can clean his fingers.  He stayed there and let me clean him without touching anything first (miracle #1).  She finished her candy cane and then got a wipe for herself.  I kept feeding the baby.  When I looked up she is using her wipe to clean our glass breakfast table.  I asked what she was doing and she said, "Cleaning the table, because I know you like it clean."  Awwww....  So I said thank you sweet girl, I love when I catch you doing something good.  Maybe I'll have to find a small prize for you.  She whispered, "How about Candy??"  I said, "no, sweetie, you just had a candy cane and I don't want you to think candy is your reward anytime you do good."  Her response, "Mom, you just said candy out loud, now Micah is going to want some.  Micah--you can't have candy, you just had a candy cane."  I said, 'Sweetie--you just had a candy cane too.'  "I know mom." 

So many things going through my mind.  I love that my girl likes to help, especially with the cleaning.  She is especially good at being a little mommy, and I have no idea where she gets the bossy side to her :).  God gave this princess to me for a reason :)