Happy 1st Birthday Ella

Today is really bittersweet. Today Ella turns 1 year old. I'm amazed and excited that we've made it to this happy milestone, yet I'm sad because Ella isn't that little, tiny baby I held for the first time a year ago.

(Side note: Isn't it amazing how much all of her birthmarks have faded? In her newborn picture she has them on her forehead, and both eyelids. Now, the ones on her eyelids are virtually gone, and the one on her forehead is faded to very pale.)

Ella has certainly brightened our lives. I honestly believe that I am a better person because of her. I am a better person because of the sacrifices I've had to make for her. I'm a better person because I've worked toward putting others first. I'm a better person because of the care I have to give her. I'm a better person because I've been able to observe her sweet innocence. I'm a better person because of the focus she has brought to our lives. I'm a better person because of the patience I've learned from her. I'm a better person because of the love she has brought into my life.

We have certainly faced challenges in our lives because we have Ella; however, I feel as though I've come through the challenges a better person, and I only hope that I continue to grow. I am so thankful to have Ella in our lives!

Happy Birthday Ella! We love you!!

Wordless Wednesday: The View From My "Desk"

Babyproofing and Dogs

Kind of an odd title considering my baby is about to be a toddler, but . . . I don't want to think about that just now! Until recently, rather than babyproofing my entire house (or even my entire living room), we just "pinned" Ella in our living room area by arranging couches and putting up a gate. It was the safe (read easy) way to babyproof the area where she was playing. Then it became not so easy . . . when she learned how to move my blockades. At first she wasn't obsessed with moving the barriers, but then it became a game. She knew how to escape, and as soon as I put her down she'd make a run (crawl) for it.

Now, we've removed the blockades, and I'm letting her roam a bit more freely. This is actually less stressful than constantly moving her back inside the blockades, and putting the blockades back up. However, I still need to completely babyproof the area (something I really needed to do a long time ago). I've put plug covers on all the outlets, and I've removed dangerous items out of the area where I'm letting her crawl. We have an open floor plan, and part of the open space includes the kitchen. I'm not planning on locking her out of all the cabinets and drawers, but there are definitely some I want to keep her out of.  I'm having difficulty finding  drawer and cabinet locks to use, mostly because I'm being really picky. Our cabinets are new, and I really don't want to drill into them. It is hard to find cabinet locks that you don't screw into the cabinets. I found these, but they are very expensive compared to the ones that you drill into cabinets. Do you have any suggestions for other cabinet locks?

I know these photos have nothing to do with babyproofing, but Ella has been SO cute with our dogs lately. She's really been having fun interacting with them, and she is learning to be gentle enough that they are starting to enjoy her too (at least I think so anyway).

Wordless Wednesday . . . a little late

I took these yesterday, so that counts, right? Ignore the pantless baby . . . it was after a diaper change, right before I went to put her in her PJs and to bed. :)

A Blog Award

I won my first blog award! I'm so excited! Thank you so much Kristen for giving it to me!! Be sure to check out her wonderful blog here!

As part of this award I have to answer the following questions in one word, and nominate 6 other blogs to give the award to.


1. Where is your cell phone? Chair
2. Your hair? Brown
3. Your mother? Loving
4. Your father? Strong
5. Your favorite food? Mexican
6. Your dream last night? Unknown
7. Your favorite drink? DC
8. Your dream/goal? Heaven
9. What room are you in? Living
10. Your hobby? Photography
11. Your fear? Failure
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Unsure
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? Tall
15. Muffins? Cinnamon
16. Wish list item? Speedlite
17. Where did you grow up? Texas
18. Last thing you did? Parenting
19. What are you wearing? PJs
20. Your TV? On
21. Your pets? Dogs
22. Friends? Amazing
23. Your life? Blessed
24. Your mood? Content
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Vehicle? Broken
27. Something you're not wearing? Socks
28. Your favorite store? Target!
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Today
32. Your best friend? Trent
33. One place that I could go over and over? Astros
34. One person who emails you regularly? Kathryn
35. Favorite place to eat? Papasitos



And my nominations . . . I'll admit that I'm very new to the blogging world, and while I may not have close connections to all these blogs, they are definitely blogs I really enjoy reading! And . . . I know it said six, but . . .well, can I claim newbie status on this one?? :)

• http://scottishtwins.blogspot.com/
• http://thegreatumbrellaheist.blogspot.com/
• http://roubinek.blogspot.com/

My Stockpiling List

A few weeks ago I wrote about completing a pantry clean-out and inventory so that I have a better idea of what I have on hand, as well as what I items would be good to stockpile. Well, I finally completed my pantry clean-out and inventory list! I know these photos aren't cute pictures of Ella, but I'm so proud of my organized pantry, I had to show at least a few of these photos off.

I'm not going to bore you with my entire food inventory list. Instead, I'm listing the items that I will be considering for stockpiling. As I mentioned in my food inventory post, when I talk about stockpiling, I'm talking about purchasing multiples of items that I commonly use when they are at a low price, I have a coupon for them, or, ideally, they are at a low price AND I have a coupon for them. To me, for an item to be a good target for stockpiling, it must meet several criteria.

1. We must use the item fairly often. What good does it do for me to stockpile something that we don't eat often? I'd just be filling my pantry up with items to collect dust.
2. The item (if food) must remain fresh/good quality/safe-to-eat with the period of time within we'd get to using it in our stockpile. This seems like common sense, but it really is something to consider. For example, we use tons of spices in our cooking, but I don't use many spices frequently enough (point #1) for these spices to still be fresh when I'd finally be able to use them. There are a few spices that we use frequently enough that they are on my stockpiling list (and I'll mention them below), but the majority of the spices in my pantry would not be good targets for stockpiling. With all that said, if I know that I'm getting low on something, I can watch for several weeks to grab the best price, even if I'm not stockpiling the item.
3. We must be able to store the item in a reasonable space. My pantry is a decent size, but it certainly not large. I don't have tons of extra space to store items, especially large ones. This rule comes into play more with household items, like toilet paper and diapers.

There are probably more criteria, but these are the ones I can think of right at the moment. So, here's my list of items that I'm going to target for stockpiling. I've included all the food pantry items, as well as household goods. This list doesn't include items that would go in my freezer . . . I'm still working to get that list together.

• Household goods
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Paper plates
• Dishwasher Detergent
• Laundry Detergent
• Baby goods
• Diapers (Diapers can be tricky, because I have to guess what size she'll be if I'm going to buy a lot. This was harder when she was younger and changing sizes more quickly. Although, I figure if we have extra of a size she outgrows that's OK, since we plan to have more children in the future. I don't want to have lots of extra diapers lying around, but if I do have a few, I don't see it as a big deal.)
• Formula (although, not for much longer!)
• Wipes
• Canned goods
• Green beans
• Corn
• Pinto beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Canned tomatoes (great for salsa!)
• Chicken noodle soup
• Harry and David dry soup mixes (I haven't seen them at our grocery store, but we have a Harry and David outlet store near us. These soups are great!)
• Tomato sauce
• Diet cokes (That's a canned good, right??)
• Snacks
• Popcorn (I really like the 100 calorie bags, and they are EXPENSIVE)
• Chips
• Granola bars
• Nuts (peanuts and almonds, especially)
• Spices, etc. 
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cinnamon
• Chicken buillon cubes
• Beef buillon cubes
• Dry goods
• Brown rice
• White rice
• Pasta
• Dry beans (I've yet to master cooking these, but I'm working on it.)
• Breakfast items
• Cereal
• Nutrigrain bars

I've probably missed a few items, and as I think of them, I'll add them to my list. But that's all for now!

On a very exciting side note, I got my $5.00 rebate check in the mail on Friday from my Glade candle purchase!

Instilling Qualities in My Children

Good parenting doesn't happen by accident. I haven't even been a parent for a year yet (although, almost!), and I know that parenting is hard work that requires a variety of skills and emotions, that should be guided through prayer and meditation on God's Word.

I realize that there is no way I can completely prepare myself for what lies ahead in my journey as a parent. However, I also realize that I should prepare myself as much as I possible in order to equip Ella with the qualities, skills, and experiences she needs to live a successful life: both spiritually and physically.

I often think about the type of person I hope Ella will grow up to be. There are many qualities I want her to exhibit, as well as qualities I hope she doesn't possess. I think one of the main keys in instilling these qualities in her is to first identify these qualities. After I've identified these qualities, I must then examine myself. If I don't exhibit these qualities, how can I expect her to exhibit them? Finally, I'll have to figure out ways to teach her about these qualities - sometimes this will be an easy task, and sometimes I know it will be difficult!

Over the next few months, I plan to blog about some of the different qualities I want to instill in Ella. I already have a few of these qualities in my mind, but I know as I contemplate this longer I'll think of even more qualities. I know that by truly considering these qualities I'll be growing personally, as well as preparing myself to be a better parent to Ella.

What qualities do you hope to instill in your children?