Success

I actually accomplished a 2011 resolution I set last January:

I

DONATED

BLOOD

4

TIMES!

And potentially saved the lives of 12 people.

It was totally free and it feels awesome.

Come join me sometime in 2012.

merry CHRISTmas!!

I am the Mom who buys books instead of toys.

I found this book the other day when out CHRISTmas shopping.

We love it!

 

"God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren

 

Some excerpts:

"Did God give us Santa?" Little Cub asked. "Santa Clause reminds us about many good things like generosity and care. But it is God and Jesus that we celebrate most come Christmas. We always want to thank GOD for giving us ...Christmas," replied Mama Bear.
 

"Christmas is a lot about surprises."
"Mm-hmm, like presents!"
"Yes! Jesus is the best present of all. And God would've given us that present, even if it was only for you."
"Only for me?"
"Only for you, Little Cub. God gave YOU Christmas."

 "Jesus is a present for everyone, grumpy or happy, mean or kind. God gave us ALL Christmas."

 

It's an amazing book, highly recommended by the Raker's :)

 

Merry CHRISTmas, every one!



2 next month

Lately it has become easier to respond to this question, "How old is he?", with "He will be 2 in January". Almost 2 just rolls off the tongue better than 23 months. It is a milestone really; from here on out Doodle will be "2" and eventually "2 and a half" rather than a quantity of months. It is another reminder that he is growing up. Way. Too. Fast.

To commemorate, this is Doodle's 23 months list:

1. You often refer to yourself as "Dayden" and sometimes "I".
2. Christmas is next week. You love ALL the decorations, especially "Tip-i-tees" (Christmas tress).
3. Santa is fun to talk about and look at from afar. You were not a fan of your encounter with the jolly ole' elf.
4. Overnight stays at grandparents' are becoming a monthly occurence. You love "PaPaw and Nana's" and "Mimi and Poppy"'s houses.
5. We are thinking about letting Papaw give you a puppy.
6. Thomas and Friends and Mickey Mouse are each watched almost daily.
7. You have started lining objects up in a single-file line. These objects become a "choo-choo".
8. You are obsessed with trains. And tractors.



9. Pretend play is beginning. You will lay your toys on their sides and say "night-night". Then you start snoring.
10. You torment Milo endlessly in any way you can and have also started to chase Jake around the house.
11. Jake scratched you on your face for only the second time ever. See above.
12. You suffer from nurse-maid elbow. Dr. Collins had to pop a ligament in your elbow back into place because it slides over a bone and becomes stuck. You did not use your arm for 2 whole days within a 5 day time frame.
13. You love for the fire in our fireplace to be lit. You say, "Daddy. Fire. Do it. Please."
14. You are a little parrot, repeating nearly everything you hear.
15. When Daddy comes home from work you become SO excited. You two scream and yell and laugh and run and tickle and hide and push trucks all over the house together.
16. Dancing to Christmas music has become a favorite activity. You ask for the music and proceed to dance: stomping, clapping, jumping.
17. You like for Daddy to make himself into a bridge so you can crawl under him. He also does this for you using the couch cushions.
18. Ready? Set. Go! You are beginning to like to race!
19. When trying to convince us you should watch Mickey or Thomas and you are not happy with no as a response, you proceed to ask to watch, "News?" Nice try.
20. You like to play hide-and-seek. You say, " Where are num?" and "There it is" using a higher pitched voice.
21. You can count to 2 and know the colors blue, green, and red consistently and orange, brown, and yellow inconsistently.
22. Kaleb, Kameron, and Roby are three of your favorite people. You love your cousins.
23. You are snuggly. You like to give kisses and hugs and say "Wuv You, _____". Please do not ever stop being that way.

Thank you Doodle for being the absolute best thing that has ever happened to us. You are such a blessing to us and we continue to thank God for you each and every day.

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above..."
James 1:17

DIY-Merry Christmas style

I needed a new something to hang on my door and had aspirations to make an ornament wreath. My frugality prevented that from happening because I am not one to pay full price for any Christmas decoration. (My sister and I, and our Mom and her sister have a tradition of shopping for half-priced Christmas items December 26th. A tradition I LOVE and a girl's day I look forward to beginning December 27th!) Several years ago I bought these cinnamon-scented pine cones and had not used them for anything. I had seen a couple pictures in magazines which inspired this idea. One afternoon during naptime, I got to work with the pinecones, some ribbon I had on-hand, and my handy-dandy hot glue gun. Voila!

I am in love with these beauties and the man who made them!

Friends of ours had these in their yard so I inquired where they came from.They're handmade; these particulars are handmade by my husband! Our friends shared the template with us, Daddy was super excited to delve slightly into woodworking, and I got busy painting. They are gorgeous lit up at night with the floodlight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

22 months

1. Tractors and trains rule your life.

2. You refer to yourself as "Dayden".

3. When talking on the phone, you randomly say names of people we have seen, places we have been, or things you have seen during the day.

4. You love to "nuggle" with Mommy in the morning and Daddy in the evening.

5. We draw tractors and trains outside with chalk and in the bathtub with crayons.

6. You recently tried to ride Milo. He was not amused.

7. You have been taking 3 hour naps. Perhaps you are in the middle of a growth spurt.

8. Christmas music seems to calm you in the car. Too bad I cannot make it work at Kroger.

9. We continue to read multiple books a day.

10. You consistently put 3 words together in phrases and occasionally even 4: Mommy cook water hot.

11. "Na-nook" means yogurt. You eat it once a day.

12. Thomas the tank engine is your new obsession. Mickey Mouse waned for a while but is beginning to make a comeback.

13. Hide and seek is your favorite game: "Dayden hiding", "Mommy Daddy hide", as you throw blankets over our heads. 

14. You and Daddy go into your room and play in the dark. All I hear is you screaming and laughing. When Daddy opens the door you shout "NO!" and slam the door shut.

15. You had your first dentist visit with Dr. Kirby. You were not amused.

16. It is great fun, in your eyes, to stand on the arms of the furniture. It is not fun for Mommy.

17. You love playing with your cousins Kameron and Roby. After Halloween, when we were in the car you would say, "Roby's house?"

18. You grab Milo's tail and hang on. You lightly touch Jake's tail and say, "tickle, tickle".

19. When Mommy is cleaning you say, "Dayden keen, peas", translated 'Jayden clean, please'.

20. A favorite thing for you to do is run around in circles. When you fall down you say, "crash" or "wreck".

21. Everything is the color 'geen'.

22. Stickers are a great toy. And inexpensive too. Mommy vacuums them up all over the house and they are stuck all over the furniture. But, you're totally worth it!

DIY

I've been inspired by a few blogs I read to delve into a little DIY.

Here are a few of my first experiences:

I will confess that I did not make the wreath. I bought it a few years agao at Garden Ridge.

However, I painted the 'R' and added it to the wreath.

(I have great aspirations of painting that door before winter,

so be on the lookout for that post!

oooo, maybe a trip to Lowe's will be added to my agenda of nothing today...)

I saw the idea of this cute Halloween picture frame in a catalog;

my DIY light bulb lit almost immediately.

That's our little calf at Halloween last year :)

I am super proud of these. This idea came from a PBK catalog; $60 for 3.

 WHAT?!? I would die then roll over in my grave for spending $60 on these!

I made 4 for $10. Yep.

I might actually get brave and decide to submit something to one of the blogs I follow to share my DIY ventures. Maybe that will inspire me to do more!



Bath Time Art

Doodle LOVES coloring in the bathtub!

See for yourself:

We draw choo-choo trains, tractors, Mickey Mouse and friends, Thomas, various animals and lots of scribbling by the little man himself!



A Precious Sight

It's fall and I am in love. It is my favorite time of year; the smells, the colors, the weather, football, Thanksgiving. The weather today is perfect. My windows are wide open. I am not, however, writing today because I love fall. I am writing to document such a sweet sight I witnessed just before Doodle's nap. Something I want to remember and treasure.

(This blog is an online baby book of sorts.)

As I said, the windows in the house are wide open. I look up to see Doodle looking outside, using his finger to poke at something on the screen. He says, "Pider," and proceeds to start singing and performing hand motions of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" song.

Melt. My. Heart.

I hope and pray your days are filled with equally precious moments.

Future Blackmail

These pics are several months old.

I was browsing through digital picture folders today and came across these.

I plan to use them for blackmail in the distant future.



What's For Dinner?

Dinner, Supper, whatever your family may call it, can be difficult. I like to menu plan but sometimes I just run out of ideas or nothing sounds good.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the weather change, the colors, smells, and the chance to cook cooler-weather dinners! I made one of those dinners tonight and thought I would share it with you. It is so easy to prepare, inexpensive, and Doodle gobbles it right up!

This is one of my go-to meals; it is so easy to have all the ingredients on hand.

If you make it, let me know what you think; ENJOY!

Chicken Pot Pie

2 small chicken breasts

2 cans mixed vegetables, drained*

2 cans cream of potato soup

1/2 c. milk

2 deep dish pie crusts

salt and pepper to taste

Boil or brown chicken breasts. Cut into small pieces.

In a med-large bowl combine mixed vegetables, potato soups, milk, salt and pepper.

Place 1 pie crust into pie pan.

Pour mixture into crust.

Cover with 2nd pie crust.

 Cut slits in pie crust that is on top.

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until brown.

*I prefer to use Veg-all brand mixed vegetables and to use 1 large can instead of 2 smaller cans. I am A-ok using generic brands but some things are just better name-brand. I have used generic mixed veggies but the vegetable ratios aren't what I get with Veg-all brand. All other ingredients, I use Kroger brand.*



Wordless Wednesday

19 months and counting...

1. Physically, you are your daddy made over. You have not come across a climbable object that you have not at least tried to climb.

2. Most things you succeed in climbing and this makes Mommy a nervous wreck.

3. You had your first sleepover with Mimi and Poppy. They said they would have you back again. Apparently you did not misbehave too much.

4. You still absolutely LOVE animals. When they interact with you, you laugh hysterically!

5. Thank you and please are words you use quite readily. Mommy loves it!

6. Transportation vehicles are now your favorite toys: tractors, trucks, cars, airplanes, anything with wheels.

7. Your appetite has significantly diminished.

8. You are wearing a size 6 shoe, 18-24 months size shirts, and 12-18 months size shorts/pants.

9. At your 18 month well-check you were in the 50th percentile in height (32.25 inches) and just above the 25th percentile in weight at 25 pounds.

10. Cousin Kameron came to visit you at your house! You had not seen each other in over 3 months because of his bone marrow transplant.

11. He brought you your first (of many, for sure) Nerf gun. You laugh out loud when we shoot the balls at you then you run after and fetch them.

12. When we play outside, you love to be in all our neighbors yards and driveways instead of ours.

13. You are frequently using 2 word phrases and speak complete sentences of gibberish. You seem to know what you are saying.

14. You call Kaleb and Kameron "Bubbles" and "Puppy" respectively as Kaleb always blows you bubbles when he sees you and Kameron has the talking puppy app on his iPod.

15. Jake fell into the bathtub with you and scratched you down your side. This is the first kitty cat scratches you have suffered, surprisingly.

16. Your new favorite character is Mickey Mouse. You also still love Elmo.

17. The louder the music, the more vigorously you dance!

18. You still love the Itsy Bitsy Spider song. Now, you do you own hand motions and have started to sing along.

19. You use "no" appropriately at times and the way you say it sounds so cute. This will not be the case very soon.

Happy 19 months of life, Doodle!

Silly Sleeper

Yes.

He is sleeping folded in half.

His legs are under his torso, toes to nose :)

Glad to see he inherited Mommy's flexibility!

Future UK cheerleader? Olympic diver? Toe nail biter?

What Are 3 Things...

We have started a new ritual in the Raker house. While reading in one of my magazines, I came across this tip. I don't remember exactly what it was a tip for (stress relief, happiness, sleep) but I do remember thinking it was an awesome idea. So much so that we've implemented it. While Daddy J and I are lying in bed we ask each other "What are 3 things that made you smile today?" Inevitably, when someone asks you this, you immediately smile. Guaranteed. As time goes on we will likely use this as a family conversation starter at dinner every evening. That brings a smile to my face. So, feel free to steal this fabulous idea. I did.

Here are some of the things we have mentioned since we began a few days ago:

•  both of us have mentioned Doodle (formerly known as Baby J) at least once every night
• Daddy J brought me home dinner last night from work, WITH a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie
• Texting with Kameron, WHO CAME HOME HOME MONDAY
• listening to and watching our cats play with their new toy mice

Have a go at it. You won't be disappointed. What 3 things made you smile today?

Wordless Wednesday

Fun Friday

Today we packed up and traveled to a nearby splash park with some awesome Mommy friends and a whole gaggle of little boys. I am quite certain everyone had a blast. I know for sure than one little boy had a ton of fun!!!

Ready?...

Set?...

Go!

Not my favorite pic but it shows his concentration on the water,
and that he is absolutely soaking wet!

This Momma said to be sure to point out her boy was completely dry while Jayden,
well, nothing about him was dry.
I believe we may have a little fish on our hands :)
Sounds perfect!

Wordless Wednesday

Chi-town, USA

Over the past two months, Daddy J has been traveling an insane amount for work. When he said he may be going to Chicago 2 weeks in a row, I quickly responded that Baby J and I could pack up and go too. He was very much on board and his boss said good idea. (We are so thankful he has a boss who is a Christian man who values family over work! We have experienced the total opposite; let's just say he is an answer to prayers!) So we packed up and headed north. It is a requirement that Baby J be a traveler because we love to go places and see things! Baby J and I hung out in the hotel while Daddy was at work during the days. Wednesday night we were able to meet up with Daddy's uncle, aunt, and cousins at a pub his aunt and uncle partially own, Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant in Downers Grove. Good food, good drinks, and good company! This trip wasn't a pleasure trip-certainly a business trip for Daddy-but more of a change-of-scenery trip for Mommy. Baby J enjoyed his naps and some time in the pool, rough-housing with Daddy on the king size bed, and having many new things to climb. It was nice to getaway and certainly nice to see the Chicago Rakers! Plans are to make Chi-town an annual trip. Fellow travelers always welcome!

"Baby J, where's your nose?" Nice.

We didn't want to be so close to Chicago without seeing the city so we drove home via a downtown route. Baby J stayed awake until the city scape came into view and then fell asleep. We wanted him to see the skyscrapers but he just couldn't make it, despite Mommy's best efforts to try and wake him! Notice the Sear's Tower behind him.

Rest areas are a blessing from above! They are the perfect spot to release toddlers from car seats to run free, find sticks, and chase birds!

Time Flies

***1.5 years *** 18 months *** 78 weeks *** 546 days *** 13,104 hours *** 786,240 minutes *** 47,174,400 seconds***

On Monday, this became Baby J's age. He was born on a Monday and fittingly turned 18 months young this past Monday, the 18th. He has become the center of our lives, the joy in our hearts, the thoughts in our minds, the smiles on our faces, and the laughter in our world. Being his Mommy is a dream come true, literally. He is my answer to a desperate tearful cry to God and I cannot help but thank God for him on a daily basis as "Every good and perfect gift is from above...James 1:17".


Baby J,
Here are some things you have been up to these days:
1. You made your 2nd trip to Chicago on your 18 month birthday. This may become an annual family trip.
2. All things that fly, you call "bees". And when it flies away you say, "Bye, bee!"
3. Instead of saying 'MawNana' as Kaleb and Kameron call her, you call her "Nanny". She says you can call her whatever you want. Time will tell if the name 'Nanny' sticks.
4. When it is time for a nap or bedtime, you ask to go to bed. You say "night-night", ask for your "nannie" (which is also you paci), and climb into the chair to be rocked.
5. You love Elmo. We watch him nearly every day.
6. It seems you will love the water. You like to swim and don't mind water in your face. You kick your legs and paddle your arms when Mommy encourages you to swim.
7. You have a farmer's tan: the back of your neck, arms, and legs are tanned. The rest of you, not so much!
8. Your hair gets blonder as the weeks of summer pass, just like your Daddy's when he was little.
9. Complete strangers regularly tell us how cute you are. (duh!)
10. When we mimic you, you laugh hysterically.
11. You repeat words you hear us say. Your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds!
12. You are beginning to deliberately test limits. If you're told not to go somewhere you will look at who gave you instruction while taking tiny baby steps toward the place you're not to be going to.
13. You call white dogs "Max" because our neighbor's have a little white dog whose name is Max.
14. After a drink of soda, you shook your head "no" and scrunched up your face. You were not a fan.
15. M&M's are your new favorite treat. When you have them your eyes light up, eyebrows raise, and you say "mmmm" while usually signing "more" then "please".
16. Potty training for you is on Mommy's radar. You recognize when you poot, poo-poo, and sometimes pee-pee.
17. At the zoo, you loved the fish. We took you to Petco and you loved the fish there too. We may look into getting you a Beta.
18. Your new favorite song is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". At the end of the song you starting vigorously signing for "more".
Thank you, Baby J, for making our lives so much more enjoyable, laughable, and full of adventure! You're an amazing toddler and are perfect for us! We love you incredibly! Even when you pose for pictures doing this!

 

Green Thumb Work: 2011

Grow, cells! Grow!

If you've been following our nephew Kameron's journey, you know that Monday, June 27, was his new beginning. He received bone marrow stem cells from an angel donor. The stem cells were harvested that same morning and he received them that night! Is that not an absolute miracle in itself?! It just goes to show that God is still in the business of miracles!

Now that we are in the post-transplant days, we have a new motto: Grow Cells Grow!. This motto reminds me of a children's book we read quite frequently in this house, "Go, Dog! Go!" In honor of Kameron and his new fighter cells, I've written a new rendition for "Go, Dog! Go!"

"Grow, Cells! Grow!"

Cells. Big cells. Little cells. Big cells and little cells.

Red cells and white cells.

Old Kameron cells going out. New stem cells going in.

Grow, cells! Grow!

Some stem cells going down in bone.

Grow, cells! Grow!

Stem cells outside his bone. Stem cells inside his bone.

Engraftment goes up. Kameron cells go down.

"Do you like us new cells?"

"I do not like you, new cells!"

"Good bye," say the angel donor cells cheerfully.

"Good bye," grump the Kameron cells.

Big red cells. Little white cells. Blood-clotting platelet cells.

Strong healthy donor cells are in and up.

Grow, cells! Grow!

Stem cells make red cells. Red cells carry oxygen.

Go, cells! Go!

Stem cells make white cells. Neutrophils go up.

Stem cells make platelets. Go, platelets! Go! Stop that blood flow!

Cells at work. Work, cells! Work!

Kameron at play. Play, Kameron! Play!

"Do you like us new cells, now?"

"I do not like you new cells, at all!"

"Good bye,"

say the angel donor cells slyly,

"and GOOD RIDDANCE!"

We love you bunches and bunches Kameron and think and pray for you a kajillion times a day! Baby J cannot wait to play bubbles with you :)

Stay strong and we love you!

What To Do...

What does a 17 month old do on an 80-something degree, gorgeous Friday morning and afternoon in late June?

Decisions, decisions...

Maybe some wagon-pulling

A little aviation practice-Top Gun style

Perhaps mow the yard-it sure needs it.

Better yet, teach Daddy to mow the yard!

Best idea yet!