3 days, 8 months and 3 days

Since May 23rd of last year Brad has found a replacement for me. Since I've gotten too old (and large) for him to snuggle me in his lap before bedtime he has just flat out replaced me with no hesitation. Every night we literally rip half of Brooks' leg off fighting over who gets to feed him his last bottle and sing to him and put him to sleep. It is really my favorite hour. He is so worn out from the day and he is so confident in himself from all the kisses and encouragement he was showered with that day that he just cuddles helplessly in the "winners" arms and he makes the most perfect exhausted baby sounds. He rarely gets through the bottle with out knocking out before he's done. I used to care because I was so stuck on him getting a "full feeding" (thank you, Baby Wise) but now I don't mind one bit. I love for him to get so cozy and safe in daddy's arms and fall fast asleep. Anyway, here is the infant Brooks cuddling with dad on his first night in the condo. Note the beautiful blue shirt which reappears in many of my photos of Brad (yes, we will take donations of clothing for the hard working man) and note how itty bitty Mr. Brooks was just 8 months ago!
Now he's a mere dozen pounds heavier which doesn't seem like much but when you are the height of a small plant - 12 pounds has nowhere to go but to the thighs! He is also much more attentive, inquisitive, teachable, giggly and mobile! We'll never stop fighting over night time duties with you, Brooks, even if it means sacrificing a limb!
And yes, he is still in his snowman pajamas. They are the only ones he can fit in of late! We are all in need of some shopping here!

Hello sunshine!

The sunbeams are dancing through the sliding glass window right past the carnation bush in the backyard. I just love natural sunlight in the house and it has seemed to be so rare this winter. Well, not today. Brooks just took me for a walk around Lake Meyer near our house. This was a pleasant shift from our usual walk on the island. It was a little gusty on the backside of the lake which only made Brooks to feel like 60 pounds rather than a mere 20 ("mere", pghhhh...), nonetheless, the walk was so perfect for today. I think we are supposed to be in Savannah for this very day - 72 and sunny and sincerely one of the prettier days I've ever seen anywhere. Thank you, God!

This morning I read this while the little boss slept. He slept an amazing 2 hours which has been about as rare as the sunshine this winter! I cleaned, read, folded laundry (the never ending chore), read, wrote, and even.....duh dun dun (like banging on a piano) BATHED! Yes, husband, I bathed before the 72 hour deadline! Anyway, I read this wonderful little passage in My Utmost for His Highest this morning and it was music to my ears and sunshine to my heart. Enjoy.

LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD

As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God - to give God "elbow room." We calculate and estimate, and say this and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as he chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never looked for Him to come? Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for him. Expect Him to come , but do not expect Him only in a certain way. However much we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. All of a sudden God meets the life -"When it was the good pleasure of God...."

Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.
-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Muchos fotos, amigos!

Hey people, Brooks here. I am the youngest member of this crazy family....you may have heard about me. I am ATE months old now and mama says she will remember this month as the month I ATE everything in sight. I'll remember it as the month I stole the rest of her heart with just a mere giggle.
(FYI - you can tell my daddy dressed me today. He had his Lucky jeans on, too, and some t-shirt that makes my mama's face look funny when she sees it.)

(Don't you love how my "resume" just doubles each month? It's hard being so amazing but someone's got to do it!)

Even though I am 8 months old, I am not crawling and still prefer to be toothless. But I can do an amazing plank and have actually thought about making these extremities work for me in a crawling manner but it just seemed like too much work. I'd rather my mama carry me everywhere anyway. (She's hot, by the way!)


Let me tell you my favorite part of the day, folks. After I attempted to crawl in my floor today my dad was supposed to be bathing me but when mom (she always ruins the fun) came back to hear the ruckus in her bedroom this is what she found. What she doesn't know is every night my dad and I wrestle around and jump on the bed naked. Well, he isn't naked, silly people, but I love to be naked and I love to flip around and scoot on the big bed. Mom put dad in time out after she saw all the commotion because it was way past my bedtime. He just stuck his tongue out at her and snuck right back in to play with me. I love my daddy! Oh, and go ahead, count the rolls. I work hard for those beauties.



Is anyone tired of my birthday yet? {This is Betsy again. Brooks was tired of trying to spell.}
Brad just raised his hand.
Well, this is the last of the never-ending birthday until next year. Oh, and go ahead and get ready for next year...the 30th will be celebrated from the day after Christmas to Valentines Day! Anyway, here is a picture that just makes me so happy. Here are two of our Atlanta friends and their little men before bed time at the birthday party last weekend. The boys are within 6 weeks of each other. Go ahead and blow up the picture, too, as you must notice my amazing "baby bangs." Yes, mothers to be - the after birth hair growth is just heinous and it ruins about every picture. Thank you, Brooks.

No, I didn't decorate my own kitchen table for my own birthday! This is the table setting for my "Mexican" birthday dinner last night with our Atlanta-Savannah friends. I really don't have words to tell you how special I felt last night. I thought we were just getting together because it had been before Christmas before we all checked in but these friends went over the top and even had my favorite dessert - ice cream sundaes and fudge! We also played some "Betsy-themed" games at dinner and you know how I love games (though I've never actually been the subject of the game before!) Anyway, God is good. These sweet friends moved to Savannah about the time we did and though we don't see each other too often I know the Lord has us all here for each other. We get together and talk about new Savannah places we've found and things we crave back in Atlanta. I have never left their presence though not feeling a little more optimistic about our surroundings and about God's hand in this story. What a perfect way to top off the birthday week!

Cyber-love

Love wins all the time. That is your cozy thought for the day. Yesterday I made a shabby blog-plea for some of your valued thoughts regarding meal time and me-time (ie:books). I hit the PUBLISH button and expected to hear from one or two of you mainly because you know that I know that you read the blog daily. But really that was all I was expecting and I would have been happy with a new recipe or two from you two faithfuls. Well, I came home from my first night out on my new town with some girls that don't know my last name and I was overwhelmed by all the recipes and book love sitting in my inbox! It felt like we were all sitting in our snuggies next to a fire, real close, just giggling and sipping hot chocolate. It's amazing how a little love even through the internet can surely be felt. So, thank you, thank you, thank you! In perfect timing, I also got a 30% off coupon at Borders in my inbox so Brooks and I are going to make a trip to the world of books today! And, I can't wait to add some new recipes to my arsenal. Thank you sweet cyber friends!

And to return the favor, here is one of my weapons in the kitchen. Super easy. Super yummy and my version is pretty healthy. Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken Fettuccine (though not the kind you might first picture). Disclaimer: I scale everything down for two people and I am a dumper in the kitchen rather than a measurer. Maybe this is my problem but I just use my instincts which sometimes prove to be too salty or too dry. Nonetheless, you can't go too wrong with this guy....

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, tenderized and then cut into bite sized pieces
2 TBS flour
1 TSP seasoned salt
1 TBS butter or olive oil
1 TSP minced garlic
1 cup sliced white mushrooms, washed
1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/2 cup-1 cup half and half (or heavy whipping cream if you want to go all the way) This just depends on how thick you want the sauce
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
Finely chopped pecans (optional)

Place chicken pieces in large Ziploc bag with flour and salt and pepper. Shake the bag to coat chicken pieces. In meantime heat skillet on medium heat and when heated add butter or olive oil to coat the pan. Then add garlic to pan. Dump contents of bag in skillet and cook until chicken is browned (about 5 mins). Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes stirring often. Add wine, cream, and scallions cooking for 5-7 more minutes, stirring. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve over your choice of pasta or add cooked pasta to skillet with chicken mixture and get it all good and mixed right there and then top with parm. I should write a cookbook using that kind of lingo. Enjoy!

If you come to visit me I will probably serve this to you along with one of my "catch-all-way-too-expensive" salads.


And because babies are more fun than cooking and reading, here is what happens when you allow the 8 month old to eat a cookie in the exersaucer. Cookie all over face and cookie on feet. Oh buddy, did any get in your tum-tum?

Suggestions?

I need your help. I have no clue who "you" are and I fear asking for "your" help because "you" may not even exist. I am not one to beg for comments. I am too prideful for that and I like to believe there are readers out there that don't think I am wasting my free time by writing about the ups and downs of motherhood and the weather, whether or not I ever see a comment. Wow, I wouldn't read either now that I recap it like that....But I do need some help here.

Last night I finished The Help that I read the last week and a half. Brad literally started dancing around the living room when I closed the book with a nostalgic sigh. He hasn't been able to even lay a finger on me since I opened the book. Unfortunately, when I find a good book I jump in head first with no life saver and I just immerse myself in the story. Therefore, any physical contact with reality (being a husband) hinders me from sinking to the bottom of the novel as I so love to do. So as you can imagine Brad was counting down the 455 pages one by one until he could be near me again. Well, atleast for today, honey, I am all yours!

That's where "you" come in to the picture. You and I both have 15+ novels scattered throughout our respective houses waiting to be devoured. I bought one that I overheard while on a flight somewhere. You took your sisters copy of the book she read in a week. Either way - I have boocoodles of books I could read but I don't want just any book right now. I want another story that pulls me in so hard that I literally dream as if I were in the setting of the book all night long. And I want to feel a little empowered when I am done....that's all. Please send me your latest suggestion. I'm not scared of weird titles or forbidden subjects or super thick books. I just want another good one to keep me on the cloud I've been riding the last few weeks. Thank you dear readers.

Also, when I am not reading these days and tending to a little person I am either eating or thinking about eating. I need "your" help again. I am tired of my 4 stand by meals at night for dinner. More so, one night a week I usually do some kind of big salad which is really just a conglomeration of everything left in the fridge. Somehow though the ingredients I use tend to make my salads the price of a 3 course meal at Chops. Brad doesn't understand this but I am sure you know what I mean....you gotta have fancy cheese for your salads and the perfect mixture of crunchiness and depth. Well, we are about tired of these over-dressed salads along with the 3 other meals I whip together. So, please, again, dear readers, send me the first "go-to" meal that comes to your head. There are no prizes here - just alot of gratitude and admiration from afar.

I'll pay your kindness in both of these areas forward.

Yours,
Desperate homemaker in Savannah

Today I like Savannah

Put your sunglasses and favorite summer sundress on....and flip flops, too.....Don't worry about your winter-toes. Grab a tall glass of ice water with a fresh slice of orange on top. Don't forget the book on your night stand and maybe even a little SPF. I have an Adirondack for you on the dock waiting. I just put a blanket there, too, just in case you need to shut those pretty eyes. The water is coming in steadily so there is a constant ripple that will remind you that you are part of a bigger story. Your baby or dog or whatever chores inside you need to do need to be left alone right now. They need a break from you anyway. A lanky, white bird just landed on the rail of the dock to peer at the lunch selection below. There is just enough breeze to move the trees slightly to and fro. There is the perfect, distant sound of boats enjoying the water and the sun on a lazy day.

I'm waiting for you and I hope to finish the last few pages of my book before you get here so we can have plenty of time for some much needed conversation. Oh, and there's leftover birthday cake should you get a sweet tooth. Does it get any better? See you soon. Hurry, my cheeks are getting pink.

Not to mention that my seat here on this quiet dock feels all the ore inviting after waking up this morning with a sudden urge to clean. With Brooks on one hip I literally cleaned this over sized and underused house with a toothbrush. 5 hours later and a few crazy hallucinations after taking in all the chemicals and I have never felt more worthy of sitting in the sun with my book. My mama would be so proud.