Week 5...and a half

So I think week four still holds the best week prize thus far...though week five did bring with it the first smile...so there's that going for it. What can I say about this week? Well, 1.- As of this evening- which is my least favorite time to weigh myself- I weigh exactly 9.5 pounds more than I weighed when I got married. Since that was four years and a baby ago, I'm not really complaining. The problem is: that's roughly what I weighed before I got pregnant, but the me in the mirror this evening just doesn't look like pre-Frazier me. Nor do my pre-Frazier pants look the same on post-Frazier me. And that's frustrating. Nevertheless, I cleaned out my closet today and folded all the maternity clothes and I'm packing them away-dare I say "for next time"? (just as soon as I get to Wal-Mart for a Rubbermaid box). Therefore, whether or not they look as good, I'll be forced to wear my pre-maternity clothes. I also cleaned out Frazier's closet and have a little pile of clothes he's already outgrown that I'll be packing away -dare I say again "for next time"? Josh has been busy lately at work...which I suppose is a good problem to have these days. Fortunately, our evenings have been relatively relaxing. Since Frazier's sleeping a good seven hours at a stretch these days Josh has even been able to give up his one late night feeding. I just feed him before I go to bed and then early in the morning. I started Tivo-ing something on the Food Network or Travel Channel (programs I deem appropriate for Frazier even though he doesn't understand them yet) so when I'm up at foursomething in the morning I have something to look forward to while I nurse. It's working out well...and I'm learning a lot. :) I went to my first Mom's night out function on Tuesday with ladies from the MOPS group I joined. There were seven of us at Papacita's (Mexican restaurant-I love tex-mex, but Papacita's is not my favorite by far). Food aside, I really enjoyed it...the company was great! Even though we spent three hours pretty much just discussing breastfeeding and potty training and pre-school, it was nice to dress up and go out and fellowship with some fellow Moms. It was refreshing, encouraging and inspiring, too. I came home (actually, I sped home-turned out I really missed my family...three hours seemed like a very long time!) and told Josh just how positive and uplifting these ladies were. Often when I talk with a group of other women I feel like it's almost a one-upping contest to see who can complain the most, but this was quite the opposite. These ladies have genuine hearts for the Lord and such selflessness when it comes to their families. I left so very grateful to have such sweet new friends. It will be nice to have them around, I know. Especially since this week, Frazier seems more interactive which suddenly makes him feel like a far greater responsibility. He's really taking things in...he can focus on things clearly up to 18 inches away (according to my books) and he seems to respond more to noises. Singing, reading, talking are all activities he now visibly acknowledges. This has created in me even more resolve to be a good mother...and all that stuff. ;) However, my newest goal in life, aside from resculpting the saggy remains of this shell my soul calls home, is to make Frazier smile...and capture it on camera. This is considerably more difficult than it sounds sans assistant. Here is the best I've done so far...
That last one's just a funny face...couldn't resist putting it up.
Well, week five went by really fast, and week six is doing the same. It brought the smile, it saw the departure of my Mom, we made two mini road trips, I had a night out...and of course, there was Josh's birthday! As with every week, I can end this one saying that Frazier's really a pretty perfect baby...and we have nothing but praises for him. So here's to a new week...and to being the kind of prayerful, diligent mother Frazier deserves.

"I cannot name myself as one who never goes astray,

Who never stumbles on the road or leaves the hallowed way.

But when I know that baby feet will follow where I've trod,

I walk with care that they too, may walk that road that leads to God."

-Margaret Powers

Happy Monday,

Randi

Weekend Trip To Jefferson Take 2

Mae Mae and Pop were in Jefferson this weekend since they dropped Mom and Ross off at the airport and had to collect Mom and Dad's dog, Winslow. (He can't fly to Belgium yet, because it has to be a certain temp before animals can fly so they won't overheat if they have to wait on the tarmac to be loaded.) Since they've driven here pretty much every week since Frazier was born and they'd been on the road so much Friday, we decided it was definitely our turn to travel so we loaded up and made a second trek to Jefferson. Frazier, thus far, has slept every time we get in the car so I rode all the way there and back in the front seat. It was tough, and I turned around every few seconds to check on him, but it was nice to be copiloting again. :) Also, backseat riding makes me sick. So it was nice to arrive at our destination feeling well! We ate lunch and spent most of the afternoon on the porch which was remarkably cool for August in Texas thanks to an occasional breeze. Josh and Pop played the Bag-O game I got Josh for his birthday and we even got out the guitar and we sang some of Frazier's favorite songs before we left. Overall, a lovely outing, though it seemed a little strange hanging out at Mom and Dad's without Mom and Dad. We did get to ichat with them for awhile. So it was almost like they were there. :)

Tot Ziens Again

As I type, my Mom and Ross are somewhere over the ocean between here and Belgium. Ross will be back in two weeks...Mom won't. Since she was just here yesterday it doesn't quite seem like she's gone. But she won't be over to visit or clean or keep Frazier next week...or the week after that or the week after that and many more weeks to come. And while I'm excited for them and their new European adventure, and I'm very glad for my Dad that my Mom is finally going to be there with him- I can't help but be overwhelmingly sad for me. :( Ik mis je, Mom, maar maak je geen zorgen. Ik ben O.K.

Ik hou van u...en Dad ook.

Happy Birthday, Dear Josh/Dad

Today was Josh's 27th birthday!
So...the sous chef and I baked a cake... ...then we decided to brave the general public and go out to dinner. Since it was our first dining out experience we just went to McAlisters, but it went remarkably well! Then we came home and had our own little three person party. Which Frazier mostly slept through. Unfortunately, I only had 17 candles...so we were ten short.
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart...we love you!

as ever,
Randi and Frazier

Say Cheese!!

I thought this deserved it's own post. We had a REAL smile yesterday- I was SO excited! While we've been close for sometime, he actually smiled for his Oma Tuesday as though he were really expressing happiness...and naturally I was there to catch it on camera!

Ready?

Here it is:

Exciting, right? :)

One Month, One Day

Yesterday was exactly one month since Frazier's birthday! By way of a one-month-birthday event, we took our first big outing. We (all four) made the trip to Jefferson and had lunch with Oma! Frazier got all dressed up...even wore shoes...and did very well travelling! It was a great practice run for future outings!

Since I went one whole post without pictures I thought I'd make up for it today!

After bathtime:Frazier is just about as helpful when it comes to laundry as he is in the kitchen. :) And, finally, here are some of my favorite new Josh and Frazier pictures. You may note a trend...sleeping. That's mostly what both of them do...so it's hard to get a picture of them doing anything else. ;) The last one's a favorite...and they're both awake!

The end.

r.

How Much Breastmilk Does It Take To Make A Pound Of Cheese?

It all started because my Mom and I went to the movie today. I'd planned and had been very much looking forward to this outing since the middle of last week and it was even better than I'd anticipated! We saw Julie & Julia which I found truly delightful! As a general rule, I do not see most chick flicks, but though there were only two men in the whole theatre today, I do not place this movie wholly in that category. I really, really liked it and where many movies I choose leave me feeling sad or contemplative or confused this one just left me feeling pleasant and happy. I realized that this was the first time in my whole life I've ever gone to a movie just me and my mom. So that was great. Also great was the fact that I got a large popcorn (not a bag either...an actual cardboard bucket) all to myself and an Icee. I cannot tell you the last time I had popcorn at a movie...but I can tell you the last time I had an Icee at one, because it was the only time I've ever had an Icee at a movie...and it was at the old dollar cinema when we first moved here. I also snuck in some Craisinets. Popcorn, Icee, Craisinets...a trifecta of happy snacking. :) Thank. You. Mom.
ANYWAY- I was at the movie through a feeding, so Josh gave Frazier a bottle. He was asleep when I got home so, still happy from my outing, I peruse the grocery circulars and reorganize my coupons and wash some bottles. And Frazier was still asleep. Well, having missed a nursing session, I was uncomfortably, um, full. Fearing he would wake any moment hungry, I was hesitant to pump. I didn't want to wake him, but something had to be done so I decide to google some info on how quickly breastmilk replenishes itself. There's always been some there when he wanted to nurse, but this is about all I knew. Turns out it depends and I went ahead and pumped anyway. He's still asleep. We'll see when he gets up what's there...and if there isn't enough I'll just give him one of the bottles I pumped.
But I said all that to say...on the search page for "how quickly does breastmilk replenish" was the question "How much breastmilk does it take to make a pound of cheese?" Tell me this doesn't intrigue you. So I click on it. And the search escalated from there. I found quite a bit of (sketchy) information on a place in France called Le Petit Singly which supposedly makes cheese out of human breastmilk. I could neither confirm nor dispel this story in the limited time I spent researching...nor will I attempt to do so. Then that search led to me reading articles about PETA's suggestion that Ben and Jerry's use human milk in their ice cream...which I'd heard about before, but still found amusing to research. See also this article at treehugger. While I had marvelled at the fact that breastmilk was, in color and consistency at least, pretty much just like cow's milk (why this intrigues me, I do not know) making other dairy products out of it had never occurred to me. And I pride myself on being one who thinks outside the box. :( So I decided to share.
The end.

*Oh- and as to how much breastmilk it would take to make a pound of cheese? The answer I found was-- if you assume it would be much like making cheese from goat's milk...it'd take close to a gallon. FYI.