Taste Test

It's OK to try all your baby's food.

You gotta make sure it tastes alright!

I make most of Josiah's baby food and all of it is delicious! 

Even his snacks that I get from the store every once in awhile are yummy!

Note: pic was taken in summer of 2011, I just let him go at it!

Christmas Tunes

It's OK that you were playing Christmas music WAY before the season!

I mean listen to the words, so uplifting and beautiful!

Num. Num. Num.

It's OK to eating a ton of Chocolate Chip Cookies before dinner when they come right out of the oven!

(Yes, that's whole milk, not very diet efficient I know)

Especially because its the Holidays!

Indulge a little, you can work it off in the Summer, that's what its for!

Hey, It's OK!

It's OK to leave your baby in pajamas all day long!

Especially if they look super cute in thermals!

I miss this...

I was looking back at some of the photos of Josiah when he was just a newborn,

and I just want to point out some of the things that I miss that I want to experience over and over again.

I miss the smell of leftover milk that got left on his face(gross? I don't think so)
I miss how he looks all swaddled tightly in his blankets.
I miss the late night feedings that in which I hated at the time and took for granted.
I miss watching him just look at me.
I miss the silly new faces that he made everyday.
I miss how he used to fall asleep on my chest.
I miss how he would sleep anywhere and everywhere.
I miss the super tiny pajamas that I would keep him in all day.
I miss rocking him to sleep in my cradled arms.
I miss the newborn cry.
I miss watching him sleep while holding him.
I miss him NOT moving all the time.
I miss hearing him breathe by my bedside at night while he was asleep.

I loved all these things and more, and I took so much for granted. I didn't even think about how precious this all was to me till now. As a mother, I love to watch him grow and learn new things everyday. Although I miss these things, they were wonderful while they lasted and I can't wait to do it all over again. Speaking of which, my baby drive is starting to get to me. All these new moms(and moms again) having these beautiful little angels is making it difficult. However, I cannot wait to meet their newborns! I can't wait to see the little pink things that Britney has Ruby wearing and I'm excited for Chara's girls to meet their new little brother Titus. Both coming in December! Hopefully these new babies will help with my crazy drive!

"lightbulb"

So I just realized that this year for Thanksgiving all the family is going to be together for dinner for the very first time. Ben's entire family and my entire family is going to all be together. Both his older brothers are coming into town and for even the Barrows family that's a rare treat.

So we'll have my parents, my brother, my sister....His parents and his three brothers....and then our family!
That's a grand total of 12 people! I still haven't decided if I should make another batch of rolls(24) or not....maybe I'll do just a half batch?
Funny thing this is we'll have two sets of twins in one house and also two brothers named Thomas in the same house. haha!
Yes, both his mom and my mom had twins and both Ben's younger brother and my younger brother is named Thomas! They are even great friends that go to school and hang out together!
My crazy, but wonderful family.
I am so blessed to have in-laws that treat me like their own daughter. Siblings that I'm super close too, and parents that would take care of me if anything happened to my family.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Is is the roof over your head? Food in your belly? Your family?Let me know! I love to hear your comments!

Busybody

For the last few weeks that's all I've been doing!

Keeping busy to pass the winter time up to get closer to Christmas. 

Experimenting is my specialty! I really do think that I have a gift in this sort of thing, I made apple butter for the first time in my life and just by researching what other people have done I've make my own recipe of apple butter. It is delicious! I think that I have eaten an entire loaf of bread with the darn stuff, good part about my recipe is that I don't add any sugar! That's right, no added sugar. The apples provide all the natural sugar that you need anyway, you just need to spruce it up a little with some apple type spices. I always make a lot so that I have extra to give out as Christmas gifts, and then the canning process comes into play. :)
Also, I have been trying to find ways to save gifts for Christmas this year, which isn't easy. If you have met my family, you'd understand. I always want to get something for them that they'ed really want and/or put to good use. Older boys are so stinking hard to shop for, I can deal with my husband, but dads that purchase what they want, and brothers that don't play with matchbox cars anymore get really difficult. I have found some solutions for them, but it definitely won't be cheap.
Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple of days and apparently, since my moms bought me a standing food mixer, I've been voted to make homemade dinner rolls. Haha! Very funny considering I have never made homemade bread in my LIFE! So I've been looking up the best recipes for that and I'm going to give it a go tomorrow. In case they don't work out, I'll just buy some on the way. ;)


Jessie's Easy Apple Butter Recipe-Crockpot!

4-5lbs of apples-all sorts    I used Honeycrisp, Gala, Fugi, and Green.
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/2tsp allspice
1tblsp cinnamon
1/3 c water

You can add more different spices-make it your own! I prefer a more apple taste with not-so-much spice

peel and core apples and cut into chunks
throw into crockpot with water and spices or you can stir this in a separate bowl (I didn't think there was a point, it's all going to be blended together in the end anyway.
Set your Crockpot onto high and let your house smell wonderful, cook apples till they fall apart!
Use a blender to make the apples into a nice sauce.

Here is another nice recipe that is more "butter like".  -I prefer more saucy, but some like buttery better.

http://changingmydestiny.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/crockpot-apple-butter/

Enjoy!

Shopping Spree success!

So today from 12-5 we had a shopping spree where various people sold various items, all proceeds went to the Grace House Foundation.
I had a great time getting to know people! One of the ladies next to me was selling miche bags, and I had to buy one. A diaper bag one actually, these bags of all different shapes and sizes can be one bag with different looks, shells is what they called them. I'm so excited for mine to come in to use it!
The things that I was selling were actually selling! I was surprised! I even had people ask if I had a business card(really!), as well as if I took customized orders. Unfortunately because it was my first year doing this and I had a 8 month old I had to take care of I didn't have enough time or enough finances to do what I wanted to do. Next year though I'm starting extra early, and now I know what I NEED to sell to actually make some money!
I was happy how it turned out though, now that I got my name out there and now that I'm known for making wreaths and selling canned goods. The ladies will probably be back next year to give it another go. We will also have more time to get the word out so that more people can come and see what we do, and maybe just hang out and talk with us ladies!
Daddy had Josiah all day and with the little man being sick and all he was well behaved and didn't give Dad any problems whatsoever! I'm glad things turned out well today and I look forward to more of these events in the next years future!

Viral Conjunctivitis

So this week I have to deal with my baby having viral conjunctivitis, let me tell you something, that is not something you want to have to deal with. My poor baby looks so pitiful, he was more of a trooper than I was going to the doctor to be checked out. Here I am driving and bawling my eyes out because I felt so bad for the little guy. He was handling his situation a lot better than mommy was. 

His poor eyes are so red and puffy, along with that icky, goopey yellow stuff is coming out of his eyes it is so sad. I really wish that he didn't have to go through this. I feel so guilty because I have no idea how he got this stupid virus, I feel like that I failed as a mommy because this happened to him. :( 

Thank God I have a wonderful husband.  He came home with a eye drop prescription for Josiah, he also brought me my favorite candies and a bouquet of flowers. That's just what I needed, a pick-me-up. Thank you babe! I never felt so down in my life, yet this thing happens to children more than we think. I guess the Doc says that this sort of thing is very contagious. So until his yellow goop is gone from his beautiful blue eyes, we The Barrows will be keeping out little man from people, don't need to be spreading it from person to person. Hopefully this clears up soon, cause I don't like this one bit.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_pinkeye_11283.bc