A fall dish

This week, it has been very chilly around here. In fact, yesterday we tied the record low for this time of year. Our nights are in the 20s!
In honor of fall, last night, I threw some things together into a soup/stew and we LOVED it! The thing we both liked the most is that the sweet potatoes added a richness to the dish. And we also loved that was could eat as much as we wanted - very healthy! So I decided to write this down so that I don't forget it!

Chicken/Sweet potato stew

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 large sweet potato
1/4 cup brown rice
1-2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion flakes
1- 1 1/2 Tbs Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes


Cut the chicken into cubes and brown in 1 Tbs of butter or oil. Chop the onion and add to the pot. Cook until clear. Chop and add garlic. Cut the sweet potato into cubes (relatively same size as the chicken). Add to the pot. Then add the spices and the rice (uncooked). Add the broth and tomatoes and stew on low for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

This soup is very thick - really a stew. To make it more soupy, add an extra 14 oz or 28 oz can of tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy Fall!

8 months

Sweet girl, you are 8 months old! We can tell that you are getting big because you are so much more involved with everything in our house.

Weight: Not sure, but it is getting much harder to carry you in your carrier....what a workout!

Height: Not sure on this one either

Sizes: You are wearing a size 3 diaper. You seem to be sort of in between sizes right now. Many of your clothes are 6 month, but they are getting a little snug. You are wearing all 9 month pjs, so I know that it won't be long until you are wearing mostly 9 month clothes. I laugh every time I put you in a onesie and pants because you can wear 9 month onesies, but your 3 month pants still fit! Ha! You are such a short girl - just like your mommy.

What you're up to:

There's so much to write this month! You have gotten so busy.

- You love to stand in your jumper chair/exersaucer. You push the buttons and "dance" (bounce up and down) when the music comes on.

- You love to sit on the floor in the middle of your toys and play to your heart's content. You never want one toy for more than 2 minutes, so you lean and grab another one.

- You must have gone through a growth spurt this month because you've been waking up occasionally in the middle of the night and you've been eating us out of house and home! I mixed your rice cereal with some banana-flavored oatmeal and you really like it. So you have oatmeal every day at least twice or 3 times along with some baby food. Your favorites are anything with apples or anything with bananas. We also started eating meat this month....gross. It's hard for me to feed it to you because it grosses me out!

- You also started eating puffs this month. I knew you were ready, so I bought some. The first time I gave them to you, you made such a funny face because of the texture, but I could tell you liked them. The next day, I put 3 of them on your high chair tray to entertain you for a bit, and when I turned around, you were picking one up between your thumb and finger. Then, you put it into your mouth and ate it! So now there are puffs everywhere - stuck to you, stuck to your jump seat, in the bottom of the high chair, in your pack and play....I keep finding them! You put them in your fist and then hold onto them forever!
(P.S. - If you look closely at the 8 month picture above, you'll see a puff in your hand. It was the only way I could get you to stop trying to crumple the sign!)

- We had a special treat this month. You and I got to go and help Aunt Sarah pick out her wedding dress! She tried on a lot of different ones and we found just what she was looking for! Baby Manning came with Mrs. Martin. It was so crazy how small she felt when I picked her up! I can't believe you used to be so small.

- You went camping for the first time this past weekend. We went to Texas for our annual Burkhart family campout. You had a great time being outside, watching the dogs run around, and, of course, playing with your Marmee, Grandad, Aunt Allison, Uncle JB, and Aunt Ashley. Sadly, the night was not fun for any of us. You were up constantly from being cold or from your stuffy nose. Your Daddy and I got VERY little sleep. But you were sweet and slept great last night so that we could all catch up. I know you must have been so worn out because today you fell asleep on the way to Ms. Amanda's house.

- You are about to be on the move! You aren't crawling yet (and I am just fine with you taking your time), but you are rolling all over the place to get where you want to be. You roll back and forth until you make it to your destination. It cracks me up. If I take my eyes off of you for 10 minutes, you are on the other side of the room!

Camping picture with Aunt Allison

- This last week, you have started to give "kisses" on my mouth and chin and nose. Who knew I would ever end up so slobbery on purpose???

Bottle time with Uncle JB

- You definitely have developed an attitude/temper. If something you want doesn't happen just the way you like, you throw such a fit. But I think you are starting to realize that you don't always get your way because you will scream for a minute and then stop when no one is doing what you want. You actually stomped your foot at me the other day....yikes.

I took away the "8 month" sign...big mistake

- You are starting to say some "words", even though you don't know what they mean. You say "da-da" most often and you love it when we say it back to you. You also have been saying "ba-ba" for awhile. Just this week I heard you say "ma-ma" more clearly than you have before. We are working on associating those sounds with actual things.

You sure do love your daddy!

     One of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to pick you up from Mrs. Amanda's house. She comes to the door with you and you practically jump out of her arms to get to me. You do this a lot when you're excited. We call it your "swimming" because you look like a little frog kicking and moving your arms. People at church think it's the most precious thing ever. 

     Part of me is sad when I see that you're getting big, but mostly, I'm just overjoyed when I watch you learn and grow. I love seeing each thing that you can do, and I especially love that I can tell how much you love me. 

     You are just too wonderful. We love you so very much, Elysen Ashleigh.  

How God Uses Technology

      Last week, Steve Jobs passed away from a long battle with cancer. Though I never knew him personally, of course, I was sad when I heard the news. I was sad because it's heartbreaking to see a technological genius leave the earth.
      In that same vein, I had a moment tonight where I was extremely grateful for technology and for the MacBook (see Steve Jobs above) on which I am currently writing this blog post.
Isn't technology amazing? I am able to keep journal/blog entries and pictures and videos somewhere in some outer space, internet storage place....and that's amazing. I can use Facebook to keep up with friends and acquaintances - then when I see them in person, I can tell them congratulations on their new job, or how cute that last birthday party was, or how beautifully their new house is decorated. Strange. And yet, I love it when people tell me that they keep up with us through technology.
      Tonight, God used technology in a way that He has used it many times for me - as a method of conviction. Elysen had a pile of dirty clothes (drool, drool, and more drool), and a pair of poopy pjs that needed hand-washing before I put them in the laundry. Gag. I was sitting on the floor looking at the computer when I should have been doing the laundry. As I surfed around, I came upon the blog of a friend of a friend whose 4 year old daughter just finished her 4th round of chemo. As I looked at the pictures and videos, I heard the small voice of this girl. Her voice sounded just like all little girls' voices - sweet and timid - just the way that I know Elysen's will sound in a few years. Only this girl's voice was full of pain, even though she is healing and overcoming her cancer. She is definitely having to fight.
      And with that, I closed my computer and went to wash out poopy clothes - 100% grateful for the fact that I have a baby girl to dirty those clothes. But before the laundry, I took a short detour to the nursery where I watched her sleep for a few minutes.
      Thank you, Lord for reminding me that my complaints are so very small. How can I complain when I am overwhelmingly blessed?

Our afternoon conversation...

Elysen is getting so big. She almost sounds like she's really talking these days....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3B4BQPiDU

7 months

Elysen, my sweet girl, you are 7 months old today! You are my big girl!

Weight: Probably about 16 lbs. You were about that much 2 weeks ago at your 6 month appointment.

Height: Not sure

Sizes: You are still wearing a size 2 diaper. You are mostly in 6 month clothes now. But, you still have some 3-6 month pjs that fit you. I had a funny experience last week. It's been so hot here all summer that you've mostly been wearing little sandals or going barefoot. Well, it suddenly got cool here and I went to put your socks on and they were too small! You still had a couple of pairs that fit - but even those were snug. So last Sunday I ran to Target after church and got you some socks. Good thing, too, because it's been pretty chilly and you needed them! I guess sometimes I forget that you're growing fast!

Wearing your new outfit from Marmee.

What you're up to:

- Well, you have been a busy girl this month. You are very good at sitting up now. I still put pillows behind you or sit beside you because you love to try to get all the toys that are just out of your reach. Then you fall over - sometimes very quickly. You love sitting because you can see things and reach lots of things. If you do fall over, you get mad because you love sitting up.

- You love to make noises with your mouth. You blow bubbles and growl and gurgle all the time. And you talk to us a lot too. You don't talk a lot when you're around other people, but you are getting more vocal. I can't tell if you're going to be a talker or a quiet observer.

- As of 5 days ago - you have a tooth! Actually, you have 2 but one hasn't quite broken through yet. The one that's out is so sharp! You were chewing my finger today and it actually hurt me at one point! I knew it was time to find other things for you to chew on. I got you Sophie the giraffe and a Nuby ring. You like them both, but that ring is the BEST! It must feel really good on your gums because you get mad when we take it away.
*Update: As of September 20, you have BOTH of your bottom front teeth! Oh my!*

- On that same note, your sleeping has been very touch-and-go this month. You'll have several bad nights, then a few good ones where you sleep all night, then you're up again for hours at a time at 2 a.m. After your bad nights you are so worn out during the day. One day this week, you had a really rough night, and you woke up at 7:30 even though you'd been up from 2 until 3:30. I knew you had to be exhausted - and I certainly was too (and your daddy was, but he had to go to work). I went to get you from your crib when you cried and the minute I had you, you just lay your head on my shoulder. By the time I walked to the other end of the house, you were sound asleep - seriously, you were snoring. So I put you on Daddy's side of the bed (with pillows to keep you away from the edge) and I got back in on my side. And we took a nice little nap until I had to get ready for work an hour later. It was so sweet.

- You are eating less often now. We try to do solids at least once every day - depending on how you're feeling. The food can contribute to the tummy troubles that teething gives you, so sometimes we skip it.  You do love your food. I can see you thinking about the new flavor and deciding whether you like it. I'm excited for you to get to eat real food in several months.

- Your Marmee and Grandad came to visit us a few weeks ago over Labor Day weekend. Your Marmee was in heaven. She kissed you and rocked you and hugged you so much. I know that she didn't want to go home. The only bad part of their visit was that you woke up one night screaming at the top of your lungs and we couldn't get you to settle down. The best I can figure - you had a night terror. You wouldn't even open your eyes. So we learned that you have to get your rest or else you have bad dreams.

Something I've been noticing is that the more I know you, the more I love you. When you were born, I didn't think it was possible to love you any more than I did on that day. I was so wrong. Every time you smile at me or laugh at your daddy, every time I snuggle with you, every time I watch you learn about a toy or book, every time I watch you giggle at Darsee and Remus, well, let's be honest, every time I look at you I love you so much more than I did the day before! It's amazing how full my heart can feel.

10 years later...

10 years ago today...
    - I was in my freshman year at OBU, in fact, I'd been there for less than a month.
    - I had never been so far away from my family for such an extended period of time.
    - I was looking forward and excited about my future.
    - My best friends were spread across the U.S. Some were back in Texas, Lindsay was in VA,
       Angela was in Fayetteville, AR (ironically).
    - I was just learning to really depend on God to help me through the loneliness that comes when you
       you move away from all that you've ever known.
    - I had never met David...he was attending the U of A and working at Arvest...in fact, I'd never been
       to NW Arkansas at all.

    On that morning, I was in Dr. Auffenberg's World Civilizations class. The first tower had already been hit, but I had no idea - I had just rolled out of bed and rushed to make it to class on time. A student aide who worked in the history department came into our class as Dr. A was informing us about the first tower, and told the professor that the second tower had been hit by a plane - it was clear this was no accident.
     I remember feeling very confused. Dr. A told us that he felt sick. He said, "I can't hold class like this - not with this going on." He told us to go back to our rooms. That was when I knew it was more serious than my initial impression.
     We had chapel that day, and no classes for the rest of the afternoon. I spent my day in the dorm, watching the footage on the news over and over again. I called my mom, and I cried. I felt like a world separated me from my family - even though we were only a 3 1/2 hour drive apart. Lesley and I talked about the future - "What if there's a war?" "What if there's a DRAFT?" "What about the husbands we'd been hoping to find here at college? Would they leave to fight this new enemy?" Even though we never said it, I think all of us realized the innocence and sense of security that our nation had lost.

10 years later....I sat outside tonight with Elysen and David. I told him how amazing it is to me that someday, Elysen will say to me, "Mom, I can't believe there was ever a time you could walk with a person to their departure gate at the airport!"

     I sat in church this morning and cried as we listened to the song "There is Hope" by Dave Pettigrew. I teared up all week as I read the articles and watched the tv specials remembering the fallen. As I sat there tonight, I wondered why it makes me so emotional. I didn't lose anyone personally on that day. I didn't know any of the firemen who died. I didn't even know anyone who lived in NY at the time. But as I sat and thought, I realized that the sadness I feel every time we reach the anniversary of 9/11 comes partially from the loss our country experienced, but mostly, it comes from the glaring reality that the world we live in is full of evil and full of sin.

     There are wonderful things in this world that I have experienced over the past 10 years. I married a man who treats me far better than I deserve. I have a precious girl who tugs at my heart each and every time I look at her. My family is healthy, and I've gained a 2 brothers-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law, and a mother and father-in-law! I have so much to be thankful for. But in the midst of it all, we still have terrorists, and murder, and sin. Every year on September 11th, I remember that we are not long for this world, and that while we are here on an earth where Satan can influence people to commit such atrocities, the only way we can have hope is to look to Jesus.

     In a way, that is what I will always remember about this day: the feeling of lostness, and of desperation, and above all, the feeling that there is only One who will always, always be our hope.

Our Other "Children"

Today, I was reading this post on one of my favorite blogs and it made me realize that I don't talk much about the dogs these days- I wonder why. Ha!

Before Elysen was born, I had a couple of (mostly hormonal) breakdowns about our sweet puppies. I was so worried that they would feel slighted and lonely when she was born. Since she was born in the winter, I was worried that they would be so cold at night.

When we got home from the hospital with Elysen, I wanted to introduce her to the dogs right away, but I decided to hold off. There was a lot going on. David spent time outside each day with them, even if it was just to play for a bit while he was feeding them. My mom also went out a couple of times while she was here to give them some attention. Poor guys, they had no idea what was going on.

When she was a couple of weeks old, we decided it was time. So we let the dogs in the house. They were so excited to be back inside that they didn't even notice the baby. It wasn't until several days later when we let them in again that they heard a strange noise from the bundle on my lap. They were curious, but still relatively disinterested. I was happy - we could all coexist peacefully. Ha!

Now that Elysen is more independent, they notice her more. What's funny to me is that they deal with her in completely different ways. Darsee has always been one to show love by licking. This is not ok with me when it comes to the baby. So I have to keep a closer eye on Darsee and make sure she's not trying to sneak in a lick. Literally, she will sneak around and try to lick Elysen's foot while still keeping one eye on me making sure I don't see her. Remus is, as always, our calm guy. He rarely licks Elysen or anyone else, so he's the one that Elysen gets to pet. More often than not, when he sees her and notices her trying to reach for him, he will walk away. I think he's afraid he'll get in trouble. But sometimes, she will reach out for his face or ear or back and he will let her pet him. He just sits and enjoys it.

I can tell they both love her so much. And if they could talk, they would probably complain about how they don't get to spend as much time inside these days. However, they would probably also say that because of Elysen, we spend a lot more time outside. And because of Elysen, Darsee has learned to tolerate thunderstorms outside (much to her outrage). We still get to play ball with Remus, and Darsee still gets to sleep in her bed sometimes.

Pretty soon, Elysen will be able to walk or crawl up to them and then they won't know what to do. She gets so excited when she sees them. It's amazing how she knows them already.

The dog lover in me feels overjoyed when I see that Elysen loves Darsee and Remus. My worries of the dogs feeling lonely is gone. I know they have taken a back seat to the new number one in our lives, but they are certainly still an important part. A few days ago, it was a rainy day, so I let the dogs inside. Elysen was fussy and tired, so I rocked her and she fell asleep. I came into the living room, turned out the lights, and snuggled up on the couch with Elysen. Darsee curled up at my feet with her head on my knees, and Remus made his place on the floor next to the couch. And my dog-loving and baby-loving heart was so very full.