March at our Home

I decided I'd start giving a family update at the end of each month, specifically for those of you who are family or close friends.  I hope you find it a good way to keep up with us!

As a Family
It's been a month of ups and downs, but it seems the downs are about all I blogged about (the pipe problems and Nathan's death).  God carried us through the difficulties this month and brought us some special family memories too.

Hiking:  For Damian's 31st birthday, we went on a day hike up in the mountains (in Arkansas).  We had a great time and lived to tell about it!  It was super hard, and it was a long day, but we left with a sense of accomplishment and the resolve to never do it again!!  At least, not with a 1 year old in a jogging stroller, in difficult uphill terrain. 

Soccer:  If you know my husband, you know he loves soccer.  I never was a fan until he convinced me to play several years ago, and now I really enjoy it.  But neither of us had ever been to a professional soccer game, so a couple months ago, when a friend who lives in Austin posted on Facebook that he was organizing a group to watch the FC Dallas season opener, we jumped at the chance to see old friends and watch pro soccer, in person.  I thought it would also be a great birthday present for Damian, even if it was a few weeks late.  We had a blast!  My sister babysat Isabelle so that we wouldn't have to force her to sit still for a couple of hours, and we got to see our old soccer friends, Kelly, Johny, and Leslie.  The game ended in a 1-1 tie against Houston, but it was fun to watch. 

Isabelle

At 15 months, Isabelle still isn't walking.  No worries though--she's an active kid, climbing on everything and crusing all around the room.  She'll walk holding my finger, but she hasn't worked up the courage to do it on her own yet. 

March has been the month of picky eating.  In January and February, we were enjoying that she'd reached 1, so the dietary restrictions suggested by pediatricians were gone, and she could eat pretty much anything she liked.  She seemed to love most foods.  In March, she reached that picky toddler stage, where the foods she loved are suddenly disgusting to her.  She shakes her head and says "NoMoNoMo" (no more) when she doesn't want something.  We're adjusting.  I don't want to be a short order cook, but I also want to make sure my little 10th percentile on the growth chart baby grows adequately, so I'm dealing with it by offering healthy options for her (oatmeal, yogurt, etc).

Isabelle is still my happy little girl, a good sleeper with a sunny disposition.  She has bouts of timidity, mostly when we walk into a room full of people (like at church).  Otherwise, she loves hamming it up for anyone who'll watch.  She makes friends in the grocery store and anywhere we go, and I'm constantly being complimented on her cuteness, her happy attitude, and her sweet smile. 

She's still a good sleeper, but we dropped her morning nap a couple weeks ago, so now she sleeps for a couple hours in the afternoon, and from about 7:30-8 pm until 7 or 7:30 am.  In some ways, it makes it easier for us to get things done, but in other ways, it's a challenge.  I just have to make sure I get all errands run in the morning, because by the time she gets up from her afternoon nap, it's time to start dinner. 

Favorites

Food:  oatmeal, YoBaby yogurt, quinoa pilaf

Toys:  lion (pictured above, which she can push or ride), books (she says "ku" for book), her shape sorter, and the calculator, which she thinks is just as cool as our cell phones.  We don't let her play with our phones, but we see no problem with her playing with the calculator.  She loves pressing the little bitty buttons.

New Signs (ASL sign language):  all done & help

New habits/areas of discipline:  I finally got her to give me her food instead of throwing it when she's done eating!  She says "kay kou" (thank you) and hands me her leftover food.

Gabby, personally

I'm doing great.  I still am so grateful that I get to have this marvelous job of being a homemaker.  Thank you, Damian!  Thank you, Lord!

God is showing me how mightily He provides.  He has provided for us in big ways, financially, as we dealt with the plumbing issues.  He provided peace and strength dealing with Nathan's death.  And He's providing me with self-discipline in keeping up our home, meal planning, and weight loss.  I'm seeing more and more that everything is a spiritual issue, regardless of how mundane it may seem.  I can do none of these things apart from Him and the power He provides through the Holy Spirit.  

Goals for April

Continued weight loss.  14 pounds down and more to go!  It's exciting to see results, and it motivates me to keep it up.  

Crafts:  I haven't sewed or scrapbooked lately, so I've got a couple of things I want to get done this month, but I'll have to keep them a secret, since both are gifts.  I'm going to sew something for my niece, whose birthday is in May, and make a gift for a friend.  I'll take pictures and show the finished products on my blog, but only after I've given them their gifts!

Stay on budget!  I did a great job with the grocery budget in March, so I want to continue doing well this month too.    

Books:  Jo loaned me a book called Living Well on One Income in a Two-Income World, by Cynthia Yates, so I hope to start and finish this one in the next few weeks.  I also want to continue reading my Jonathan Edwards biography again and make some progress in Grudem's Systematic Theology.  I'll share some of my thoughts on these books during the month.