Vidalia Onions Are Good For the Soul

I saw an adorable elderly vintage lady at the grocery store this afternoon.

She was oohing & ahhing at the boys- how handsome they were.

Then she was chatting with me about Vidalia onions (which are from her home city & state- Vidalia, Georgia).  Her Southern drawl was music to my ears!  Her sweet, calm words sauntered daintily out of her mouth- one right after another.  I suddenly felt like I was being lulled to sleep in a large rocker on the back porch of a plantation mansion.

Sometimes I crave things from my childhood. 

Southern accents,

Ladies who are ladylike and men who are gentlemen,

And the slowness, particularly. 

These days life seems to be zooming by at warp speed. 

When I was a child, however, a day could last forever.  And on summer evenings, the sunsets even slowed while everyone breathed deep breaths and savored the last drops of sweet tea before making their way to bed.  Everyone would sleep long and hard after a day filled with hard work, sunshine and laughing together.

I wanted to take that sweet lady home with me, where she’d be sure to infuse my household with Southern Hospitality- thought to be on the brink of extinction.  I am guilty of becoming consumed with time and becoming frustrated with all that’s left undone each day.  Something about the striving is really wearing me down. 

I am madly in love with my family. 
So humbled by God’s graciousness,

In awe of the trials we’ve victoriously overcome,

Flabbergasted by the Good Gifts we’ve received,

Thankful for the God-fearing friends we have,

Excited to intentionally raise my children alongside of my Godly, affectionate, superb husband.

I am absolutely and especially blessed.

Sometimes I am made aware of God’s love and care for me- the individual.  This afternoon I was reminded of the supreme blessing it is to sit and bask in the radiance of God’s love, to savor the moments of each day.  And this requires me to slow down and let the cards fall where they may.  

Thank you Lord for perfect strangers and Vidalia onions.

You knew exactly what I needed. 

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 

Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

"Made with 100% cage free eggs"

Apparently the eggs used to make our mayonnaise were somehow retrieved from the nests of wild chickens.

I think.

This completely explains and justifies the millions of dollars I paid for one wimpy jar from Costco.

{never again, by the way}
I was reading that label this morning as I stuck the awkwardly sized jar, which is nearly empty, back in the fridge.  There it can continue taking up precious room on the top shelf, since it is too fat for the door and too tall for the shorter, less significant shelves.
I never buy mayo at Costco, because I can usually buy something I like for a good deal at The Grocery Outlet.  I like the Olive Oil one or Light {made with Canola}.  But I bought the regular stuff at Costco,

because I was there

and we needed it

and I had a coupon. 

However, I still paid an obscene amount for it and it’s the thick gloppy variety that I really don’t prefer.  {"Best" my foot.}

Lesson learned.

Ps. I’m picturing a band of farmers scurrying about the forest, tricking chickens away from their nests, stealing their eggs. 

Would chickens live in forests? 

Are chickens a natural animal or a hybridized expression of present-day science and fast-food? 

{I’m thinking the latter, because chickens freak me right the heck out.}

On to more exciting things.

The weight loss is going well.  I’m losing weight and fitting into smaller clothes and that’s fun.  The only thing that is a little bit of a bummer is my feet.  They get huge and fat when I’m pregnant.  REALLY HUGE and REALLY FAT.  When I’m un-pregnant they aren’t all swollen, but they are still bigger.  I wish my weight loss could make my feet smaller.  Oh well.  I’m over it.  Hey, I get new shoes!!!!  And that’s like the best band-aid ever.  The other day I was praying that I could have a growth spurt… just like 6” or so.  Hey, with God, all things are possible.  I’m trying to think of a reason this growth spurt could benefit anything other than my own selfish desire to be taller.  I got nothing.  Dang.  {Sorry about the lack of promised photos.  I think I’d rather do a photo journey that I’ll share in the end, not just a before and after.  So, bear with me.}

Also, I got my hair chopped off.

Not all of it, but probably 5lbs worth.

I was sad to see it go.  But, it was a hot mess most of the time.  It was more than I could really handle right now, especially with two sweet hair-pulling babies to keep up with.  Someday I’ll probably get around to showing you a photo of that.

I’ve been reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child {again}.  I’ve realized that I could be doing a whole heck of a lot better at getting the babes in a good sleeping rhythm.  Little Guy still rocks in my book. 

He sleeps through the night, every single night.  And that gets an A++ from me. 

{I’m going to be such a good home school mom.} 

He takes TWO 2 ½ hour naps/day.  It’s a newish thing and I LOVE it!!  He is always so happy and sweet.  Except between 6-8pm.  I’m guilty of keeping him up till 8pm every night, because I’ve been afraid that if he goes to bed earlier, he’ll get up in the middle of the night or it will somehow mess up the rest of his AWESOME schedule.  He gets really whiney and flail-y. 

Flaily. 

It’s practically a word used to describe the flailing fits Little Guy sometimes has while I’m desperately trying to keep him up late.  Apparently what time a kiddo goes to bed has little impact on what time they get up, because they have these internal clocks, etc…

As far as Baby Bear goes…

Well I’ve sucked the whole time when it comes to his schedule.  He is sleeping through the night.  {How ‘bout another A++ for Baby Bear}  And that’s been my heart’s sinful desire.  He definitely needs more sleep and sometimes in the evening he will cry and whine for hours.  Not exactly how any of us want to wind down.  I usually go to bed with fistfuls of my hair missing longing for another glass of wine.  It’s tricky figuring out what he needs, because he’s not as “old” as his birth certificate says, and according to books you’re supposed to use the kid’s adjusted age.  So, I’ve got a few pages bookmarked and we’ll see how the chubby little Baby Bear does.  Oh my heck.  He is so stinkin’ cute and cuddly, I can hardly stand it.  He also loves to be smothered, which is good, because Little Guy can’t keep his hands off, either.  He’s like a real bear cub you see at the zoo, and you just want to pick it up and squeeze the soft chubby ball of fluff.  We are in love.

Recently the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here.  60’s & sunshine.  Little Guy and I have had fun playing outside.  We are fans of sidewalk chalk, tag, picking up shells and rocks, hide-and-go-seek and Chase the Foxes and Deer {which is a game HANDSOME taught him}.  He also enjoys practicing crazy maneuvers in his Little Tikes Coupe.

Holy smokes!  I love being a mommy. 

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

Deals and Bets for a Happier {more exciting} Marriage

I’m not usually in the deal-making business.  Sometimes I make random bets with Handsome.  The stakes are usually pretty high, something like: The loser has to go make coffee. 

What can I say, things get pretty exciting around here. 

I’m usually the one who sets the bet and 99% of the time I’m also the winner… you think Handsome would catch on that I only bet on stuff I’m pretty sure of.  Often times I think he is just amusing me.

{And that’s ok, too.}

Recently Handsome and I have made a deal.  A forever deal, which is a big deal. {hehe}

Long, long ago I gave up the practice of baiting fish hooks, with live bait that is.  Something happened in my development and I realized I was no longer ok with worm guts squirting all over my fingers as I tried to crucify it to a fish hook.  Some enjoy this particular pastime; I don’t, really.  When I was pregnant, you know for practically two years, Handsome didn’t make me bait my own hooks, being the gentleman he is. {I might add that he cannot stand the sight of vomit.}  He told me that he would do it this time, but next time I had to do it myself.  It went on like that for a few times.

I am here to share with you why I will never have to bait a fish hook as long as I live. 

Pay attention, in case this information might be of use to you, lest your sweetie already let you off the hook, so to speak.

Handsome is a dedicated father.  He has been intentionally helpful, since the very beginning.  Guess who changed Little Guy’s very first diaper.  Handsome!  {And many after the first, for the record.}  I think I changed one diaper the entire 9 days Little Guy was in the NICU.  Handsome and my mom took turns.  Since they were enjoying it so much, I stood back and let them have their fun.  {I know, a little odd.  Maybe it had to do with the scale and weighing them.  I honestly do not know.}

HOWEVER, the honeymoon eventually wore off for dear old Handsome and the poopy diapers became too much for him to handle.  He would gag and make barfing sounds as he was changing Little Guy.  I usually jumped in and finished, so he wouldn’t barf on our newborn.  It was pretty funny, though, except for scaring Little Guy with his retching soundtrack.

Once we introduced Little Guy to solid food, the game was over.  Handsome couldn’t even stay in the room while I was changing him.  It was pitiful.

Same story with Baby Bear.  He changed diapers in the hospital, you know back when Baby Bear was 6lbs.  Now, it is absolutely out of the question.  If it’s only #1, he will change the boys, if necessary, but that’s hardly ever the case.

All this to say, Handsome does not change diapers. 

{I didn’t expect him to, but it was something he thought he should do to help.}  It didn’t exactly work out, but I’m quite happy with the arrangement we’ve made.  {Happy, as in ecstatic!  I keep high-fiving myself for coming up with this deal!!}

Of course you’ve probable put it together by now, but Handsome agreed to bait the rest of my fish hooks for THE REST OF MY LIFE, because he isn’t willing to change poopy diapers.

You know me, I’m always looking for a bargain.  And this might be the best one, yet.  As a matter of fact, I’m sure it is!  This summer, I’ll be fishing it up on Sunny Island.  One thing I will not be doing: crucifying worms.

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

We Have a Baby Bear

In our house!

And we're keeping him forever... or until he grows up.

{don't tell Fish & Game}

Here's the scoop:

Once upon a time there was a little baby {a human baby- for the record}. 

He was born early, so he was very little {at least compared to his big brother}. 

He was adorable and sweet and his parents were more than thankful to finally take him home after almost 2 weeks in the hospital.

{which seemed like an eternity}

Being born early isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!  This particular baby had some hurdles to jump including eating… and keeping his food moving in a downward direction.

It was sad to see the little baby uncomfortable. 
Really, really sad, actually.  

One thing that seemed to soothe him was wearing a bear suit.

So the little baby’s parents invested in bear suits galore.  Blue ones, brown ones, stripped ones- all with hoods and cute bear ears on top.  The little baby loved being in his bear suits; cuddled up, but not restricted.

Needless to say, he was also adorable!

His parents loved him very much!  They were often entertained by deep-voiced giggles and eye-squinting-tongue-sticking-out-dimpled smiles. On especially blessed nights this particular baby would sleep soundly for six or more hours at a time, but ONLY in a bear suit.

His big brother LOVED him a whole bunch, too!  {It’s hard to resist a baby in a bear suit, let me tell you.}  His big brother gave him lots of hugs and snuggles… and when the baby was sleeping, his big brother would sometimes pet the baby bear feet.

The little baby was so often in a bear suit that he became lovingly known as Baby Bear. 

{true story}

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

Inspired & Motivated & Human

Things are looking a little different around here, have you noticed?  Welcome, dear readers, to ninathemom.com.  I love how snappy that looks and sounds.  Since my handmade hats are selling like hot cakes, I wanted to order new business cards {with our new address on them}.  I realized in the process, it was time to make the switch and have my own web domain.  I’m super happy with the decision.  Today I ordered fabric labels to sew into my products.  I’m feeling quite sophisticated.

{until I look in the mirror. {lol} Because sophisticated business women probably have already had a shower by noon… and they probably aren’t cleaning their home in their Sweetie's t-shirt.  Not every lady has the privilege of wearing their Sweetie's t-shirt as a mid-length dress… for special occasions… like when all of her yoga pants are in the washer.}

Now to catch you up...

I’ve been getting stuff done today, despite both of my children refusing to nap.  {they’ve joined forces}  I paid $736 to our midwife… because that’s how much you earn when you don’t deliver the baby.  I think the hospital bills are in the neighborhood of $35,000, so $736 seems like more of a tip than a payment.  Actually I really liked our midwife and I *wish* she could've delivered our baby. But alas, he did not cooperate.  

Handsome had the follow-up appointment about his health issue.  And it seems that he has a variant form of Lupus.  So, we’re off to see a rheumatologist with the hopes that more tests will have a happier answer.  The news wasn’t as earth-shattering this time, but still sad and disappointing.  The reality is that we do not have control over the things that we might wish we did.  Even if Handsome’s Lupus goes away, it doesn’t mean he is invincible… like I often pretend.  I pretend, because I do not want to face the truth that he lives in an earthly body that is dying every day.  The better, more hope-filled truth is that we have been saved from death and will live eternally through the grace of our Heavenly Father.  Our Heavenly Father is also the Good Physician and we still ask that He would completely heal Handsome.  Your prayers would bless us!  This situation serves as a reminder of God’s sovereignty in our lives and we wait with anticipation to see how He will work this together for our good, because we love Him.

It’s been blustery in our neck of the woods- sunny, but blustery.  I hear talk of hail and snow in other necks of other woods, but our woods have a canopy of blue skies and sunshine.  Sunshine and blooming daffodils, because it happens to be Spring.  Already!  So, go ahead and high-five yourself, because you made it all the way through winter and the dreary-ness that haunts some is over.  Yep, high-five yourself, and if you’ve got one, go ahead and do a little happy dance… or if you’re sitting down maybe a little head bob and shoulder action would suffice. 

My hair has turned white.  I’ve skipped grey, apparently… because I’m a get-it-over-with-already kind of person.  Thankfully God invented someone who invented hair dye… that way people can believe me that I’m not their long-lost grandma.

Little Guy is refusing to take naps… at least some of the time.  Handsome and I have brainstormed and we think all this sunshine is keeping him from sleeping during the day.  He has blinds, but I’ve been set to the task of creating some black-out curtains for the little dear.  Because his naps are important for all of us!

“Little Guy, you need to take a nap… otherwise mommy can’t clean the house for you to wreck all over again… and that would be sad, wouldn’t it?”

Hippity, Hoppity, Easter’s on its way.  Can you believe that?  March has been a pretty full month, wouldn't you agree?  Let’s just squeeze one more holiday into it.  Since Little Guy will be 18 months, we’re planning to celebrate Easter… you know do it up right… maybe even have guests!  I think I’m the most excited for our celebrations.  I’m praying this sunshine sticks around, because it makes for a pretty picture… a little more Spring-like than the snow we were accustomed to in Retirement Community. 

I’m going to try my darndest to lose some weight.  I think it’s high time I get to work climbing that seemingly impossible mountain: Weightloss.  My dear friend and her Sweetie are in the business of bringing health and wellness to all, via Advocare.  Have you heard of it?  They boast quality supplements and healthy, realistic weight management through eating well and exercising… the age old magic of weight loss!  Anywho, I am not committing to their official 24 day challenge, because I am breastfeeding and I’m not ready to give up dairy for 10 days...  I know that is super lame.  BUT!  When I’m done doing this whole breastfeeding thing, I’ll give it a real run for its money- all proper like.  For now, I’m going to try out some of their products and hope that it helps me in my endeavor.  As encouragement to myself (encouragement that feels a lot like torture), I’m going to take a Before Photo accompanied by measurements… and I will humbly share them with you as part of my journey.  (You just sit tight for the next 24 days while I do all the work… then we’ll both see what comes of it… hopefully progress!!)  I’m pretty excited about it and Handsome is the best encourager, so I’m convinced that I can do this!

Since Little Guy is the Tasmanian Devil and my house won’t clean itself, I really must go for now. 

In closing, I hope that your vacuum cleaner can suck popcorn up faster than your little one can sling it across the living room… 

because there may be hope... 

that one day... 

my vacuum cleaner will master that skill, too.

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

Turn! Turn! Turn! IT OFF!!!

“A time to weap; a time to laugh…”Can you possibly read Ecclesiastes 3 without The Byrds’ “Turn!Turn! Turn!” song playing in your head?

I cannot.

And I hate that song.  A lot. 

A lot, a lot.

Hating songs is not a sin that I’m aware of. 

{I know some of you just cringed at the fact that I said ‘hate,’ and I wasn’t referring to politicians. “Is she a Christian?  She said 'hate' and she wasn’t talking about Satan, Obama gas prices or taxes!  We better put her on the prayer chain.”}

I’ll go along with the common Christian understanding that hatred is murdering something in your heart.  Well, friends, if I could, I’d murder this song in real life.  I’d borrow some “tools” from Handsome and I’d get to murdering, because I hate this song.

I don’t know why I hate it so much, but I do and I’d rather listen to 3 minutes of a cat clawing a chalk board.  It put a nasty taste in my mouth regarding hippies, “retro-looking” flowers, the color of pea soup, bell-bottom jeans, fringed clothing and Wyoming.

Wyoming????
That’s where I first heard this wretched song.

If they could put it in bottles, I’m sure it’d make for a nice, natural ipecac.

{What? You love that song? I’m sorry, we can’t be friends.}

Proverbs 17:22 says
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Last night my bones were pretty well dried up.  I had a headache {accompanied by aching sinuses, ears and throat} due to the pitiful wreck I had become via the extensive shedding of tears.  As I wrote earlier, I will not succumb to my fears, but remain hopeful.  And trying wholeheartedly to do so, I will aim to be cheerful.  Before the Bad News, I was planning to write a silly post just for you…

because you’re so good looking…

because my life is quite satirical...

because I love you.

I get a box full of emails daily, because I’m continuously signing up for junk mail.  Yep, it’s all my fault!  I do it on purpose.  To get coupons.  I know, it’s sick.  But alas…
I received an email from Payless {you know they sell shoes that used to be cheaply made and priced.  Now they’re just cheaply made}.  And Payless was having A SUPER AMAZING SALE: BOGO!!
In case you hadn’t figured out, BOGO means buy one, get one HALF off.
WHOA! 50% savings???
No, read that again.  Do not be fooled by their marketing.

With a little second grade math, you can figure out that what you are really purchasing is two pairs of shoes at 25% off each.
Good feeling gone.

Anywho… they were showing off their pretty spring heels {because they know I am a sucker for heels}.  And to my delight, they had some floral printed ones that were quite swoon-worthy.  But to my dismay they were all peep-toed…or toad- whichever.  These particular Peep Toes had extra-small peep-toe-holes.  {My skin is starting to crawl, but I have to finish telling you this.}

I have big feet and extra-long toes.  {Oh my goodness, this is becoming more embarrassing all the time.}  I’ve had my cry about it and I’m over it. 
Yes, I’m 5’ 5” and sporting size 10 feet {Thankfully, they’ve grown two sizes since having kids, which is CLEARLY why we cannot have anymore children}. 
Too true, I could save money on skis… thanks for telling me.  Only, I don’t ski.  Big feet and all, I love shoes, especially heels.  Even though I am normally barefoot, I am a sucker for them.  But Peep Toes are usually a no-go for me.  I have long, skinny toes, and the last thing on Earth anyone wants to see is my second toe sticking out of that tiny hole like a claw… no, a talon.  It’s not very attractive.  YET! They keep making these shoes.  Personally, I believe they should give an option of Peep Toe or CLOSED Toe.
They have those handy drop-down options: size, color, width.  It’d be easy to add a toe option.

Peep Toe for short, stubby-toed people, and closed toe for people who don’t want their eagle talons scaring small children. 

Payless irritated me with their lack of cute, floral heels without a peep toe, so I didn’t buy any.  I was going to buy those and some flats, because I HAD to take advantage of their “amazing” sale.  {Only not really}  Instead I bought some cute, orthopedic comfy flats from Target’s Daily Deals… which was actually a deal, being that they were half off of one pair!  Take that Payless!

Other things to think of which are humorous and mood-lifting:

Little Guy, with his sharp Christian Bale teeth, grinning with an entire head of a rubber duck in his mouth.  Maybe we should’ve named him Beowulf, or just Wolf. 

Speaking of ducks…

Babe e’s head is full of fluffy hair, quite similar to the look of a duckling’s bottom.  It’s scrumptious.  {Yes, I’ve turned into one of those terrifying old ladies that wants to EAT UP small children because of their adorable features.  I’ll skip the pizza and imagine gobbling the body parts of my children… or not… nope, I guess I just cured myself of that.}

Now I want pizza.

May you have an evening full of Good Medicine!!! 

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom

His unfathomable faithfulness

I have been blown away by the extravagant blessings we’ve received lately.  I know my life is especially blessed, but God has shown me how lavishly he can choose to provide for and bless our family.  It has definitely stretched my perspective.  I guess I am prone to keep my dreams on the smaller side, so as not to be disappointed when they don’t come true.  

Handsome and I are pretty financially frugal.  We try to be wise with our finances and we carefully budget and plan.  That being the case, we can see our cash flow and with the outrageously expensive babies we’ve had, it seems hard to get ahead!  Thank the Lord for SamaritanMinistries!!!  By His grace, we will not be paying $40,000 for Baby E’s birth.  What wonderful things happen when believers come together, under the heading of Christ, to bear the burdens of one another!

We had an opportunity to use some of our savings in a way that we hadn’t anticipated.  We weren’t anticipating the opportunity, but God presented us with it.  He not only provides for our needs, often times we are blessed with more than we can keep track of.  So here we are, humbled again by His goodness and kindness.

With some of the money, we paid off the rest of Little Guy’s hospital bills! Hallelujah!  What a great relief it was to send that last $1100!!  We weren’t comfortable spending money on anything else until we were debt-free and thankfully we are now!  PRAISE HIM!  We were blessed with the ability to buy really awesome furniture from Costco (saving over $1,000 off of Costco’s normal prices, which are stellar in comparison to other stores).  We are now the proud owners of a new mattress, a new leather living room set and a new dining room set which seats 8.  Handsome invested in more “tools” and I am in the process of buying a mixer that can withstand my bread-making endeavors.

It is so lovely to sit on a couch in our living room… you know instead of the daybed that has been our only seating since we moved.  That was not our plan, but due to some unexpected moving expenses, we were left without the funds to buy furniture when we arrived.  I’m so glad, too, because God blessed us even more greatly!  We had guests over and it was lovely to sit at our nice dining room table and play board games!  We hope to one day be able to host a home fellowship at our house and we are well on our way to accommodating that now.  In the meantime, we like that we can have people over and extend hospitality and fellowship with them.

The past week and half have been difficult.  I have a little issue with hyperlactation (meaning I produce more milk than Baby E needs).  It’s quite the balancing act to know when to express, pump & feed.  There have been times when he has become so frustrated that he is hard to console.  He wants to eat, ravenously, but the milk comes so fast already.  He ends up gulping and gulping until he chokes.  Thankfully I am learning to facilitate the situation and block feeding is helping.  I have been very sore due to being “full” and Baby E’s eating style does not help.  But! We are getting there.  Things are getting better; I’m less sore and more sensitive to which maneuver I need to use to help him eat.  It’s tricky and inconvenient… and feeding a baby every hour is exhausting, but God is good- all the time.

Yesterday I received some potentially scary news about the health of my most-loved one.  We are waiting for results, which will probably take another week.  Until then, it is all I can do to place my trust in the Father, to wait patiently for results and take control of my overwhelming emotions.  Illness is a very scary thing for me!  Handsome may have a chronic illness, but we are not sure and I am trying desperately to assume the best and remain hopeful.  It does not help to try and “prepare” for bad news.  God will most definitely give me the grace I need for each situation I face, so I don’t need to get ahead of myself.  I must remember His sovereignty and trust that He will work it out for our good. 

His faithfulness in our lives is unfathomable. 

Handsome reminded me of that last night.  So I will wipe away my tears and purpose my mind to be hopeful.  {Your prayers are appreciated and welcomed.}

Today I tore February’s page of the giant calendar that hangs in my kitchen.  I was looking over March and there is a lot of stuff in there.  Today, by the way, is Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  Are you eating green eggs and ham?  {hehe}  I have decided not to let our unknown news about Handsome’s health steal my joy, hope & peace.  

Today is going to be a good one! 
It is, after all, Dr. Seuss’ birthday- one that I’ve celebrated since Kindergarten.
It is a bright, cheery day outside.

Baby E is 8 weeks old!!!
I am expecting TWO packages in the mail- one being Baby E’s birth announcements.
I'm working on a large order of crocheted hats- which is super fun!
Aunt Anna is visiting. {yay!}

It’s Friday.  And ever since I can remember, Friday has been a happy day to mark the beginning of weekend fun.

I let Little Guy watch Diego, which is a miracle; he was in awe.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!! Happy FRIDAY!!! 

love. love. love

         Nina  the  mom