Farming Friday

I alluded to Eli meeting a little calf and piggy the other night in Webber.  Well, I have pics to prove it!!

Eli kept looking back and forth between his dad and the calf... not sure what to think!  He'd smile when Bill would say, "see the baby cow?"  It was sweet!

He was also pretty curious about Mr Pig!  :)  We make a lot of animal noises around here -- farm animal has been one of the themes for his first year, somewhat unintentionally.  :)

It feels weird typing this (this is precisely why Bill won't let me name the animals), but the bottle calf died Wednesday night.  Bill found it Thursday morning.  Is it the mom in me that makes me want to cry typing that?  The calf's momma had abandoned it, which happens occasionally, and Bill and their farm helper Cody had been bottle feeding her.  When Bill's dad found her (she had been born the day prior in the snow), she was "down" (meaning she couldn't stand up) and alone (normally at this age, the mommas are right beside their little one - to nurse and protect).  Rick picked her up and put her in his truck to warm her up a little.  She was later moved to the pig barn so they could keep her warm and feed her there.  Bill had to give her the first feeding through a tube inserted down her throat!

She had seemed to be doing better when we saw her on Sunday, but Bill thought she looked "poor" on Tuesday.  Bill said she had "scours," which basically means she had diarrhea, and I guess that hadn't gotten any better. 

Definitely a sad story, but a reality of ranching.

To end on a happy note, I am submitting our registration to sell at the Cherry Street farmer's market this summer!  This will be our 4th summer to sell there!  You know what that means?  Produce season is rapidly approaching!  Exciting and daunting, all at the same time!!

More about that next week, unless something more interesting comes up!

Happy 10 Months to my little Eli!

Dear sweet Eli,

You are becoming quite the little boy -- no longer a baby!  You are becoming more and more adventurous and um...... dramatic?  :)  We love every minute with you and can't wait for the excitement ahead!

10 months old

You are still wearing 6-12 month onesies, although many of them look like scoopneck tops on you.  I'll explain that later.  Your pants are 6-12 months, also, although some are probably on the short side.  You have a great Carhart jacket Papa & Grandma Shelby got you that you've worn alot since Christmas, and a navy puffy vest that you also wear.  Your dad and I are partial to puffy coats (he's a recent convert - I've been staying warm (while choosing to ignore the unflattering affects)) with puffy coats since grade school.  The three of us look pretty funny together!  We experienced your first snow this month!  You thought it was pretty cool... until your little bum got a little soaked.  It happened much quicker than I anticipated.  So sorry!  :)

SNOW!!!!!

This month has flown by.  We settled back into a work/PDO routine after a couple of weeks off around Christmas.  That time was so special - we took several trips to Tulsa to see family and had a few playdates too.  We celebrated Christmas with your Grammy & Pops, Uncle John, Aunt Carolyn, and Uncle BJ on the Monday after Christmas.  You got a cute outfit and some fun Converse sneakers!

Seeing sweet Maria and my rfl Mary

Playdate with Caden and Karsten

 You have started becoming more vocal even in the past two weeks.  A lot of "bah bah bah" and some "mah mah mah mah mah mah" that you typically say when you are exasperated.  It isn't quite the "mama" I was expecting to "count it" as a word, but Peggy says that counts.  :)  You also make some funny noises with your tongue - clicking and clacking.  You think it is so funny! 

You mostly army crawl still, but crawl normally on carpet.  You are starting to crawl normally more often on regular floors, but quickly drop down into your army crawl.  You are pulling up on everything - this morning you were hanging on to the side of the kitchen table!  You push anything that will move when you're standing next to it, including your high chair and the stools we have in the living room, let alone your push toys.  You and I have a funny trick where I ride your John Deere and you push me around.  It's so funny!  You laugh so hard when we do it!  

You still have 6 teeth, but I can see #7 nearing its debut.  You take milk 4 times a day.  We are nearing the end with nursing as you just simply won't nurse sometimes.  You did yesterday, and did this morning, but I am working on weaning you this month.  I have dropped to nursing (or pumping) only twice a day.  You are still a great eater.  You still prefer to eat finger foods, although you will let me feed you yogurt (which you still love) and sometimes breakfast baby food.  I had bought a few to have handy in case we were headed somewhere and I couldn't get homemade food packed properly, and I'm trying to work through that little stash.  You love canned green beans most right now.  You also love red and black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears and apples.  You have had roast chicken and grilled pork chops and loved those too!  Oh, and lasagna!  :)  You are headed towards eating what we eat.  The only thing you haven't liked was a tomato from a can of rotel that was in a soup.  Sorry about that.  Perhaps it was a tad too spicy for ya.  Noted.  ;)  You still get excited when you see me reaching for the (plain) cheerios and still enjoy your fish or chicken sticks.

You might be trying to change your 2nd naptime on me, but I can't quite figure it out.  Some days you go down easily, and others you play in your crib for up to an hour before falling asleep.  You also have decided that you don't like sleeping with a dirty diaper, so sometimes I have to go in mid-nap and sort that out before you'll go back to sleep.  Can't say I blame ya, but not sure why that changed all of a sudden.  :)

I should have known it was too quiet... you were UP to something!

Thanks to you, we now have a big wad of toliet paper to use piled behind the toliet seat (out of your reach!)

We still love playing peek-a-boo.  We also play catch.  I thought months ago that you understood the concept, but dad wasn't convinced.  But, there is no denying it now.  You love throwing the ball.  You also love dropping your sippy cup from your highchair, but I'm going to thank you right now for not throwing food.  We get enough food on the floor without you throwing it, so thank you for not making it worse.

This is your fake cry face.  I laugh when I see it.  I think it's cute!  :)

You still LOVE bathtime.  We've been playing with your hair lately during bathtime.  It's getting so long - it touches your eyebrows!

You stayed overnight with your Papa and Grandma last weekend.  You really enjoy being around your cousins!  When your dad and I went to pick you up, we went to visit your Great Grandpa Bob.  We feel blessed that you got to meet him as he is not in the best shape.  He asked several times what your name was.  But, he thought you were pretty cute!!  After that, your dad let you sit in his lap and drive us home (1/4 mile on a deserted road -- no hate mail, please).  Your dad considers driving young a rite of passage.  He started driving in the watermelon field when he was about 7 (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!).  Anyway, we headed straight for the pig barn where they are housing a bottle calf.  You weren't eager to touch the calf, but you seemed to enjoy seeing it.  You kept turning to your dad and smiling.  It was so sweet!

10 & 2, ELI!!!

Hanging out with GGrandpa Bob and his Mountain Dew :)

I could go on and on!  Your dad and I love you so much and cherish each moment with you!

Love you,
Mom

Wednesday's Pop of Pattern

Zhush does a "Monday's Pop of Purple" posting each week.  Click here to check them out!

I enjoy seeing the post each week.  I like purple.  But, I like different patterns more.  So, I'm going to make my own weekly post!

Today's Pattern?  Herringbone.

I just love the menswear element of this pattern.  It's classic.

Check out these herringbone throws at Serena & Lily.  Love the colors!

What about this gorgeous sweater jacket from Anthropologie?  Looks like something I'd live in during the cold months!

Lovely herringbone backsplash over stunning range

Love the herringbone pattern of the wood floors!

While I'm sure I would never have turquoise drapes in my dining room, I love the color and energy of this room, including the herringbone floor.

This looks more classic - In fact, I might actually REALLY like it!  I'm loving the farm table look, especially seeing as I will likely soon live on the farm!  We will be embracing this trend, for sure!

PS - "Soon" in the above caption could mean 1 year or 10 years.  I just see it looming in my future.  :)

Love!

Can we pretend tomorrow is Friday?

I'm seriously very excited about Farming Friday updates, but today has been one heck of a Friday.  In fact, I nearly thought it was Wednesday this morning.  I have worked 55 hours this week, all before noon today.  I got 1.5 hours of sleep last night (from 6 am to 7:30 am).  At noon, I turned off my computer, played with Eli until his naptime and then fell into a coma.

Yes, I want your sympathy.

I am going to post about a possible bottle calf on the farm tomorrow.  So, we're all going to pretend tomorrow is Friday, ok?  :)

This picture was taken through my back door.  At my house.  NOT on the farm!  Imagine the shock this former city girl experienced when she saw that one morning!

Love!

Globes of Gold

Do you have a bucket list?  I love the concept, and while I have not exactly made a concrete list, I do come across things from time to time which inspire me to make a mental note of adding that to "my list."  Maybe that will be a blogging challenge I'll pose to myself.

Anyway, my mom and dad got to attend a ball for the incoming Governor last weekend.  Aren't they cute!

I mentioned to my dad (and I've told Bill before... I'm going to invent a ball for farmers) that attending a ball was on my bucket list.  I don't care what kind of ball it is, I just want the excuse to get an exquisite gown!  I love LOVE dresses and while I don't actually own many (I'm far too practical to load a ton of dresses up in my closet when I know full well I won't be wearing them as I work from home... or when I visit the hubs at the farm... or at church in the 'gee?  nahh...  ), I love sketching, dreaming, and shopping for them!  :)

When we lived in Sydney, Bill's parents came out to see us.  We went to Manly for the day and were eating lunch at a cafe - it was a perfect day... we were all just reading papers (or a magazine, in my case) waiting for our food to arrive.  Well, as I often do, I pulled out a pen and started sketching a dress on one of the pages in the magazine.  I do this all the time.  Bill thinks nothing of it.  But, his dad... having not had daughters of his own, seemed to think it was the oddest thing!  He didn't say anything, but I caught him looking at me like "What in the SAM HILL is she DOING?!".  But, I digress.  ;)

As most fashion-loving ladies will agree, any awards show is fun to watch for simply admiring the fashion, but the Golden Globes features some of the best looks.  Because this is MY blog, and this is what I have on my brain, I'm going to share my favorites from the other night.  :)

This one wins, hands-down, in my opinion.  I mean, look at it!  Armani Prive.  The color is perfect, the fit is brilliant.

 

  

Stunning color and love the texture. 

I love the color and shape of this one too.  I love that it's different, but suits her body so well.

 I really love the simplicity of this dress.  It's backless, and really quite chic, in my opinion.

 I love the design of this one - feels perfectly balanced.  It's maybe my 3rd favorite.  We'd have to change the color for me, but that's beside the point.  :)  My OCD tendencies mean I need symmetry, and in order for one shoulder dresses to work, they must be balanced.  This one works.  :)

I can't really pinpoint what it is about this dress that I love so much, but I think it totally suits Leighton.  It's my 2nd favorite.  I love the pattern, the sleeves, the waist, the draping... what do you think?

 

This is the only ballgown I will allow here because, let's face it, the beadwork is stunning.  We've seen this design in various forms over the years, but I never get sick of it. 

Did you watch the red carpet element of the show?  Did you have other favorites I didn't mention here?  Do you hate any of the ones I picked?  Love a good fashion debate!  ;)

Love!

Farming Friday

I have decided to start a weekly post about the farm... and since "farm" starts with an "F", I figured Fridays were the perfect day to post about it!  Cute or cheesy?  Don't burst my bubble.  ;)

Sweet Corn for miles

This will likely include our garden as well, since most people think stuff from our garden comes from the farm.  It doesn't, people.  There is a very clear difference between the farm and the garden.

About 30 miles.  That's it, really. :)

For my first Farming Friday post, I will share a basic overview:

Bill "farms" with his Uncle Bob and Grand-dad Robert.  Bill "ranches" with his dad.   The difference, you may ask?  Farming involves planting seeds and selling the harvest.  Ranching involves raising cows.  See!  You already learned something new today!  :)

Farming:

Bill raises (interchangeable with "grows") sweet corn, cantaloupes, watermelons and pumpkins, primarily.  In 2011, he will be farming 255 acres of produce.  This is the most he has ever managed and will be quite a busy year!  They sell to local sellers ("peddlers"), a regional supermarket chain (20 stores) and a regional wholesale distributor (about 60 stores). 

baby watermelon

Bill is weird about me giving out too many details.  He's a conspiracy theorist.  Comes by it naturally... his dad is the same way.  :)

Ok, not really.  At least, he doesn't believe in aliens or JFK assassination rumors...  to my knowledge....

Ranching:
Bill has (I guess I'm part owner, so they're MINE too) 53 cows and 2 bulls.  :)  The market is looking rosy, so we may not own as many very soon.  :) 

Look at those beauties

I will share tons of pictures.  I hope you find this interesting!  Please let me know if you have specific questions and I'll try to answer them as best I can!

The farmer!

Love!

The Big One

It is over 2 months away, but I can't stop thinking about it!  I already have a couple of gifts (great bargains I couldn't pass up in after-Christmas sales!), and I have found another.

I had seen these things in a movie not too long ago, and then again at a friend's house last week.  I already had it on my mind to scout out for Eli, but the little boy owner of this toy loved his... it made me want to buy one for Eli right then!


I think I might wait until his actual birthday to post a pic of it (I'm sure you'll have forgotten about it by that point!), but that way if Eli reads my blog, it won't ruin the surprise!  ;)  Of course he's already reading.  Weren't you all at 9.5 months? 

Hints:

• It's rubber and about as big as a medium-sized dog.  Perfect for riding.

• It's white with black spots.  If it were to make sounds (which I don't think it does) it would perhaps say "Moo".  

• Due to its construction, it is perfect for "bouncing" around the house.

• It has horse relatives (which are far more common and come in great colors), but Bill thinks those are weird looking and of course would prefer a more authentic looking farm animal.  We're all shocked at that, aren't we. 

• I have a feeling it will be popular for a couple of years, as Eli might take a bit to understand its potential.

Any guesses?   :)  Luckily, Eli hasn't figured out how to read the comments section.  ;)

Love!

Flashback

As I was washing my face yesterday, I was taken back to 7th grade. 

Odd.  I haven't thought about those years in a lonnnnnnnnnnng time!

You know when that happens -- the smell of something hits you over the head with a memory?  I am a huge fan of smells (as opposed to those people that would rather not smell perfumes, candles, etc).  But, as often happens, I had a hard time putting my finger on the origin of this scent memory. 

And then it hit me.

Gap. 

Heaven.

The scent background to most middle school boy's dreams

The next scent was actually my personal favorite during this time... and still probably ranks in the Top 5.  I literally soaked my clothes in it... I think I actually bought the scented laundry sheets.  So yummy.

Crazy ad, huh?!  Well, at least it was when I was in 7th grade!  Seems tame now!

Do you remember Heaven and Dream?  Ahhh... I immediately think of high school mixers with boys nervously asking girls to dance -- and girls nervously waiting to be asked!  I think of slumber parties with several of my girlfriends - we made it a nearly weekly occurrence - we just traded homes each week.  Then, as is usually the case, my mind wandered.

One of only 3 DVDs I actually own.

Did you love Romeo and Juliet as much as we did?  I think we watched it every weekend!

I went to private, Catholic schools and wore uniforms until college.  Thinking back, it was actually fantastic, although I hated it at the time.  Anyway, shoes were always a big deal.  Sounds lame, but that was the only part of your attire that you could personalize! 

Sidenote --
I once got in trouble for wearing a pair of white socks with a thin green stripe around the top (had to be solid white).   I also got in trouble for wearing a white tank top under my button up that had a row of little pink flowers on it (was also supposed to be solid white).  What a rebel I was!  ;) 

I asked Bill and he said Doc Martens were big at his school too...  Were they at yours?

I had this pair in navy and a different Mary Jane style in brown.

This was probably THE purse to have then... Of course, most of our shtuff went into the backpack, but we started carrying purses around 7th grade for lip gloss, Gap Heaven, and ... surely we used them for more than just that!  Although, I did probably have 5 or 6 lipglosses in there at one time!  A girl's gotta have options! ;) 

The Sak... I had it in bright turquoise.  :)

I know there was so much more that was "cool" in 7th grade.. can you help me remember? 

Thanks for your encouraging emails and texts after yesterday's post.  I appreciate you all letting me be real here!

Love!

A day at a time.

I'm just gonna be honest... I'm feeling overwhelmed by life.  Most often in a really magical, how-can-I-take-it-all-in kind of way, but sometimes, like today, I don't even know where to start my list.  I don't like that kind of overwhelmed.

I'm a "lister," as many of you are.  Lists help me.  I need them.  I usually have at least 3 scattered on my "desk".  The Chore list, the Work list, and right now, a vacation planning list and a birthday planning list.  Um, yes.  I feel the pressure mounting for what will be (I guarantee it!) a very small and hmmm... let's call it "old-fashioned" 1st birthday for sweet little E.  I can't handle that quite yet.  Who cares about the party - I can't handle the fact that Eli will be 1 soon.  ONE.

*tear*

Moving on.

Eli is now constantly into everything.  I actually really love that about him and this stage.  I wish I could spend my day on the floor playing with him and being goofy -- you know I love that so much.  But, instead I spend my day barricading myself behind a coffee table (turned at an angle, boxing me in, so Eli can't reach me.  I know that sounds horrible, but if he could reach me, he'd be at my feet or standing at eye level to my computer all day, thus making it IMPOSSIBLE to work.)  This is my first week back on the job after 1.5 weeks off.  I needed that time and am so grateful I could have it off to spend with my family.

Does vacation make it harder to return to work for anyone else?

With each new stage, Eli and I have learning of our own to do in terms of how we will balance work and play.  Since he is now everywhere, working is a bit more challenging.  I still rely on his two naps (and his 7pm bedtime) to get solid, uninterrupted work accomplished.  And, when he's awake and not eating, he's typically standing on the other side of the coffee table trying to get my attention.  Well, or grab that paper that is just out of reach (so he can shove it in his mouth!).

I hate to sound like I'm complaining because I am beyond grateful that I get to spend my days with Eli.  The last thing I want is to put him in daycare.  I just feel bogged down some days.  The house is a mess, I have 9 hours of work to do EACH day, and a little one to keep an eye on.  Can I just feel a little overwhelmed by it all without sounding like I'm complaining?

Thanks.

On a positive note, today is Friday.  I won't diminish that with the fact that tomorrow is a workday due to year end close. 

Oops.  That slipped out. 

Starting over...

Today is Friday!  And, to make it even better, Eli leaned in for a couple of kisses yesterday (and kept his tongue in his mouth!).  Melt. My. Heart.  He is honestly such a joy - I can't put it into words and do it justice!

Please ignore the leftover carrot on his nose!  ;)

Look at his sweet face!  :)  I just can't get enough. 

Oh, and Bill got a new Macbook Air this week.  If I didn't spend all day on the computer, I'd be dying to play with it!  :)  It's already our favorite new toy!

I hope that you all have a fantastic weekend!

This is my encouragement verse for today.  As with all things blog, this is for me.  Maybe you can appreciate it where you are today, too.

Ephesians 3:17-19
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Love!!  I promise that I'll have something interesting for you later! 

9 months old!

Dear sweet little Eli,

You are becoming such a big boy!  You are an absolute joy and we are loving every second with you.  You have had such a big month -- I hope I can remember it all here!

Chair pic was a STRUGGLE this month!

You are a sweet, sweet boy, extremely curious and active, and you love people!  Well, you love being around people, but when strangers talk to you, you just stare back at them!  Not even a smile!  But, generally you love being around friends and family... especially if they are all loving on you and passing you around!  You are moderately shy when you see people for the first time in a while, but warm up to them fairly quickly.

Please note Bill's "hat picture" behind his right shoulder.  Eli will have one just like that when he's 5!  Wasn't he cute!

You are roughly 19 pounds (you were 19.2 today) and were 28.5 inches at your last appointment.  You wear 6-12 month clothes and mostly 12 mo PJs.  Your aunt Tia got you some 6-12 month jeans from The Gap, and your second cousin Kelley got you some cargos from The Gap, and I'm obsessed with both.  They are just so adorable!  I'm finding that I'm a bit over onesies and love putting you in just pants and a teeshirt!  You are SOO squirmy... I usually have to finish snapping snaps once you are standing or playing.  I also have to chase you with diapers!  I rarely use the changing table anymore because you are so active.  Sometimes you help out by showing off a new trick - you raise your legs for me when I say "It's diaper time!"  HA!  You pull your legs up and play with your toes!  It's very helpful and I thank you often for this little trick!  :)

Your tongue has been out of your mouth a lot this month.  I'm not sure why, but it's super goofy.  Hoping this phase passes quickly - it's not exactly the best first impression.  ;)

You are a great eater -- you eat 3 meals a day.  You prefer diced finger food these days.  Sometimes I can trick you into eating from a spoon, but you are happiest when I put food in front of you and let you go at it!  You are quite proficient at feeding yourself, which makes lunch time fun for me as I can eat my own lunch and watch you!  You feed yourself most meals these days!  You prefer cooked peas, green beans (canned, rinsed), and roasted butternut squash (still your favorite!), pieces of bananas and diced fresh pears.  We have added the occasional fish stick or chicken finger cut into small pieces.  You love both!  You still love yogurt, but we have slowed on giving you so much as it seemed to affect your regularity.  :)  You're welcome for sharing that little piece of info.  ;)  We tried little chicken weiners (?) and I gagged.  You handled them OK, but I could tell you didn't love them, and I definitely didn't, so I imagine it will be a while before we try those again.  You are a pro at using your sippy cup and drink water with each meal. 

You nurse 4 times a day.  Typically, during the work week, you nurse when you wake up, and then I pump the two day feedings and give you bottles, and then you nurse before bed.  Lately, we have been nursing rather than pumping.  I'm starting to run low on my supply of frozen milk, so I think we are going to introduce a formula bottle every day and I'm going to drop an afternoon pumping.   When you do get bottles, you drink between 6-8 ounces at each feeding.  You also respond to the sign for milk, and you get excited when it's time to eat and I make that sign!

Rare precious moment of holding my sleeping baby after nursing.

You are SOOOO much fun to play with these days!  I seriously am a huge dork and play with you in some fashion most of the time you're awake.  We play peek a boo a lot -- it's your favorite.  You even play with me sometimes by covering your face with the burp cloth and then pulling it down and looking at me with smiley eyes.  Of course, I play along by saying "Peek-a-boo!"  Sometimes all it takes is me looking at you quickly... tonight we were shopping and I'd turn my back to you, then quickly whip my head around... you were laughing so hard!  I couldn't stop...  I think we exhausted each other!  You are just such a joy - I love every minute with you!  I guess I should mention that you are bit of a daddy's boy.... you are still such a huge fan of your daddy!  and... I LOVE that!

Goobers being goobers

Oh!  You also started clapping this month and will clap on queue pretty well.  If we say "Clap, clap, clap" or "Yayyy" you will start clapping.  You also give high 5s.  Well, I guess they're just "5s".  If we say "Gimme 5" and hold our hand out, you'll start clapping it.  It's so cute!  We're working on waving and blowing kisses.  Sometimes I think you wave, but we can't do that one on command yet.  You love showing off your tricks!

Yayyyyyyy!

You have 6 teeth now and have at least one more coming very soon.  You are such a goof ball - you have a toothy little grin you have started doing, along with a really goofy laugh.  I just die every time you do it!

Love this goofy grin of yours!

You are still a great sleeper, for which I should thank you!  You sleep from 7/7:30 - 7:30 every night and take 2 - 2 hr naps during the day.  Your napping is getting a little off schedule lately because you typically crawl, sit, and stand before falling asleep - all while laughing and talking to yourself.  Sometimes this can last up to 45 minutes!  I watch you creeping around your bed in the video monitor - it's almost like you are trying to wear yourself out before sleeping!

Squishing your face during naptime.  I couldn't resist taking the pic!

We did Albuterol treatments for a few days this month to help with your cough.  Sometimes you would get a little wheezy, which made this asthma-suffering mom of yours a little nervous!  I'm still praying that your wheezing was the result of a cough and not something you'll have to battle later!  Unfortunately, with this little cough, you have started a small fake cough.  I can't help but laugh when you do it, which only encourages you!  I really should stop... it's just too funny!

You had a wonderful Christmas with family!  You were so wonderful through all the festivities.  You received several new toys, but your favorites are your new phone from Grammy and Pops, your John Deere push/ride toy and barking doggy from Papa and Grandma, and your new drum from mom & dad.  We took your jumperoo down this month, which ended up being perfect timing for some new additions!  You love standing up and will even push your little toys around on your own.

Christmas morning joy!

Big boy on his new tractor!

There is never a dull moment with you and I love it that way.  You are full of life!  I thank God for you every day.

Love you, my little man,

Mom