thesearethedays

Introducing... H E L L O , N I X E S !

2013-01-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

p l e a s e j o i n u s a t o u r n e w b l o g !

2013-01-25T14:48:00.004-05:00

I've been listening to this on repeat just because I'm a sucker for a sweet love song. And this one is perfect for Valentine's Day.

A Varied Post on MLK Day

2013-01-21T16:42:00.001-05:00

Today Aaron pointed out that Shepherd's lived in Nebraska almost as long as he lived in Florida. I can't believe we've been here that long or that Shep is old enough for that to be a true statement! I am struggling for a cohesive post today, so I'm just going to bullet through these in hopes that I record the things I want to record.

Aaron is home from his trip to Sheboygan/Milwaukee. We hate when he is gone! Me especially. Especially when our pilot light goes out and I have no idea how to relight it. Oops!
Shepherd turned 11 months old yesterday! When the light is better (and the sun is out) I will take his 11 month pictures on the high chair.
We put up a row of hooks by our back door. This may seem like a little thing, but it has made such a huge difference in clearing clutter! We don't have a hall closet or any place to put coats, which in this freezing weather is no bueno, but now we can put our coats, bags, etc. away immediately.
It's snowing again. I love the snow, but I don't like the mess that it drags in. Along with no coat closets, we also have no porch overhang or mudroom, so we pretty much drag in all of the snow and mud every time we walk in the door. Yuck. Our next home will have to have a mudroom... I feel like I'm always swiffering the kitchen to keep the mud at bay!
I am looking forward to my family's reunion in Las Vegas in February. I've never been, and I can't wait! I'm excited to see all of my side of the family, and glad that all three of us are going! We are crossing our fingers that Jillian can come, too.
Shepherd has started pointing people/things out to me when I ask him. He can point out Mama, Daddy, Sheppy, Toby Cat and Livy Cat. We are working on our extended family! :) I am blown away by how much he has advanced in the last few weeks. He is such a good communicator (for better and worse!) and very capable at signing. He is very impatient, though; his "mores" turn quickly from the gentle sign language to slamming his hands on the high chair tray and yelling "mo! mo! mo!" Ha! He just loves to eat!
Our MacBook Pro has served us well for more than five years, and it is on it's last leg. The battery exploded while Aaron was in Wisconsin, and the power cord gave out that same day. Working from home with no computer is impossible, so we bit the bullet and bought a new power cord. We're holding off on buying a new battery, though, as a new computer is probably in our future. It's time!
I love that something as simple as hanging a bird feeder can pay residuals in happiness gained.

That is all the rambling I should post today. A baby just woke up from a nap, and he sounds very unhappy that he's still in his crib. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Green Acres

2013-01-10T15:57:00.001-05:00

Aaron and I have had a few discussions about how nice it would be to own our own home, but it's all been preliminary so far... mostly daydreams and somedays, but it makes me smile to think about and doesn't stop me from checking the real estate listings and crossing my fingers for a diamond in the rough.

We've talked about moving to Lincoln, staying here in town and even chattered about moving to the country. I have a pinterest board devoted to the subject, and though I don't think it's realistic for us right now, I have bucolic visions of chickens and rabbits and sunset watching on back decks and fire pits. Too bad there are no acre lots here in town!

Source: sarabarner.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

2013-01-04T11:26:00.001-05:00

Aaron received the Dark Knight trilogy as a Christmas gift, and he has been hounding me to watch The Dark Knight Rises with him since we got home.

I have told him no, that we will watch it maybe tomorrow night, since Tuesday. I was set to watch it Wednesday night until I realized the Louisville vs. Florida game was on.

Last night, Aaron turned on the PS3 and put the movie in until I realized the Oregon vs. K-State game was beginning. He was irritated, and I said maybe tomorrow night. He reminded me that tomorrow, now today, is the Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma game, and I would want to watch that, too. He was (is) right.

Maybe we will watch the movie tomorrow?

Merry Christmas 2012!

2012-12-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Shepherd's 2012 Christmas List

2012-12-12T15:58:00.001-05:00

I remember seeing this post on children's Christmas gifts and thinking it was a fantastic approach to giving, so Aaron and I adopted this motto to shopping for Shepherd this year. Since he is quite young, and doesn't understand the idea of giving, receiving or opening gifts, it's been simple to shop for him. In fact, I found the Noah's Ark set at a thrift store for $4! Here are his gifts from us:

something he wants: noah's ark little people; something he needs: a convertible car seat; something to wear: lumberjack bunting; something to read: a collection of books, including caps for sale and the snowy day.

Shepherd's Christmas by emilynix on Polyvore

O, Tannenbaum

2012-12-07T11:15:00.001-05:00

To the sounds of Nat King Cole, we lit our tree last night. I was hoping to see wonder in Shepherd's eyes as he watched the lights go up, but he was much more interested in the metal tin "drum" in the tree lights box than the lights themselves. Little drummer boy was happy as a clam to bang on the tin for almost an hour.

Aaron had an odd craving last night, so we ordered and ate breakfast pizza as we lit the tree. As we took pictures of our little guy and his first Christmas tree, my heart swelled. In the past, we might have had the tree up, lit, and decorated in one night, but this year we have spaced it out over two days so far, and we still have to put our ornaments on. Slowing down to decorate is nice, but I am certainly happy to be almost done. My Christmas Village is up, too.

One last (and important) detail is the stocking situation. My mom made Aaron and me stockings, but there's no more fabric and I want to switch things up a bit. I'm going to put the old stockings in Shepherd's room, but as for finding new ones, I'm not sure if I should make them myself or look for some I like and buy them. Any recommendations? I like the Fair Isle look and want to stay primarily red and green or neutral, maybe burlap or similar?

First Week of December 2012

2012-12-06T11:34:00.002-05:00

We got our Frasier Fir last night. This is one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season, made even more special because it's our first tree with Shepherd. It was fun to watch the salesman and Aaron tie the tree to the top of our car's roof, but Aaron was nervous the entire 20 miles home that the tree would fly off. We ate our Taco John's and sang Christmas carols all the way home, at which point he breathed a sigh of relief when we turned in to our driveway.

Now the tree is resting in the corner of our living room, waiting for lights and ornaments. I've also added the cedar garland I bought over Thanksgiving in Texas. I was disappointed no cedar garland was to be found in Lincoln; I called all of our home improvement stores and they said they didn't have any. However, last night, I found one 30-foot strand of garland left. Maybe the stores just don't know what cedar garland is? I should have bought it; I know I can use it, but since I've already decked the dining room with garland, I don't know if I need it. I sure do love it, though. I would like to make some mini-wreaths for our windows, too.

In addition to Christmas at the Nixes, we celebrated Aaron's 26th birthday on Monday night with Eileen's birthday cookies and cookie cake and a dinner in Lincoln. I tricked Aaron with a few surprises (I think) after he said guessed all of the presents I had wrapped. I find it so hard to buy for him, mostly because everything he wants has at least two zeros at the end of it. He is always a good sport, even when I go off the list and get him something he doesn't really want.

Tomorrow night we are headed to Omaha to cheer on the Husker volleyball team face Washington. I'm excited! For the first time in a long time, Aaron is actually thinking about buying himself a present with his birthday money, so we might even do a little shopping while we're there. He never buys himself anything, so I'm (strangely?) excited to see him ruminating over options.

I just love getting in to the spirit of Christmas. The sights, the sounds, the smells all fill me with joy. One of my favorite parts of this advent season has been the daily shereadstruth Advent devo, which puts my heart in the right place as I prepare for what this season is meant to be. I'm so thankful for that joy and for the ways I'm challenged to share it.

I hope you're having a great first week of December!

Catch Up

2012-11-19T11:16:00.002-05:00

Storytime: When I was in high school, I decided I would pronouce ketchup as "castup," and it drove my dad crazy. To this day, if I do it, it will make him upset. I have no idea why. Maybe I will figure that out over Thanksgiving. Moving on, I have almost a month's worth of blog posts to catch up on, so I'll see if I can do it in one big post. I know once the holiday season begins, these posts won't get done, so let's start with middle October, which I can't believe was a month ago. Where does the time go?!

October 19-21:
We went to Wichita to meet our newest niece, Kennedy, and see her mama and papa. Kennedy and Shepherd were born seven months to the day apart, and we got to celebrate Kennedy's first- and Shepherd's seventh-month-birthday. It is really nice to be able to make a weekend trip to see family, watch the Huskers barely squeak by with our little corn heads, and enjoy time with people we love. Plus, we got to stop at Braums... they have my favorite kind of ice cream, cherry pecan. Yum.

October 22-28:
The day after we got home from Wichita, my mom flew in to spend the week with us. We spent a lot of the week working on projects for our house and also drove up to Northeast Nebraska to visit my grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins. My Aunt Shelley and I drove to a tiny hamlet called Brazile Mills to their country church. It had snowed that morning, and the church looked idyllic nestled in a bunch of evergreens behind a corn field. It was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. We actually met the pastor of the congregation, and he told us about the church's history and took us up to the steeple. It was really cool! My mom and I stopped at a few churches along the way so I could take pictures. I have a fun little project I'm doing on instagram, country church project, where I'm taking a snapshot of churches that are 100 years old or older. Most of them happen to be in the country, hence, country church project. If you are on instagram, search the hashtag #countrychurchproject to see what I've found. If you come across a cool church, add it to the tag! On the way back home, Mom and I also found a few antique stores with some great stuff. I'm on the hunt for a few things for my house, and though we didn't come home with anything, I at least know where to look. It was so fun to have Mom visit.

November 9-10:
Aaron's mom and dad came in to town for the Nebraska vs. Penn State game and spent the weekend with us. Chris, as evidenced by the picture below, is the ultimate Husker fan. :) They generously offered to babysit Shepherd on Saturday night when they got home from the football game, so Aaron and I got to spend an evening out, having dinner at the restaurant we went to the night we got engaged and then catching Skyfall, which we both loved despite the awful viewing experience! I don't know how people can go in to a movie and talk to each other, text, or kick seats... sigh. And then the projector bulb went out. And then we had to move theaters...at midnight. It was memorable.

November 16-18:
TJ, Tiffany and Kennedy spent the weekend with us so TJ and Tiffany could go to the Nebraska vs. Minnesota game, which meant we got to spend Saturday afternoon with Miss Kennedy. It was fun to spend time with a tiny baby again. I couldn't believe how old Shepherd seemed next to her!

And, in the miscellaneous category, we did our civic duty, and Shepherd displayed that he will stand up, but only of his own accord, and definitely not when anyone but I am watching. I think Aaron's seen Shepherd standing in pictures more than he has in real life, because that baby won't stand up if someone's watching him.

Also, I painted these odd panels in our dining room with chalkboard paint. I love it, and I need to get better at my hand lettering! Since this picture was taken, we've also added curtains! I feel like things are getting done! Exclamation point!

So, that's enough photos and catch up for one day. I feel pretty caught up now! Just don't want these memories to slip by; I love looking back each year and seeing what we were doing at any given season. It seems like this season of our life is all about reconnecting with family and friends, and I am so happy about that. Thankful, actually, might be the correct word... how fitting for this time.

It means a lot to us to be able to host in our own home, especially after being so far away, so thank you to everyone who has stopped by (for any period of time). I feel like I am getting the itch to find a home of our own, through I know that's all in due time...

Happy Thanksgiving week, friends!

Aaron's Movember

2012-11-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

This month, Aaron is participating in Movember.

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo's, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

He and his team are hoping to raise a yet-unspecified amount of money for men's health research and initiatives. For the entire month, Aaron will be growing a mustache that will become a walking billboard--a talking point to share why this cause is important to him.

Truth be told, I am not a fan of the mustache, like, at all. But I think this cause is worth it, so I'm supporting Aaron and his team, the Mustachioed Marketers, with a donation, and I'm encouraging you to, as well. The funds each team raises will go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. You can read more about Movember's strategic goals here.

If you'd like to donate, click here. On behalf of the Mustachioed Marketers, thanks for your support. And don't forget to remind the men in your life how important it is for to be aware of health issues unique to them!

Awake/Asleep

2012-11-05T09:18:00.001-05:00

I will forever cherish these moments. Shepherd's fallen asleep in his daddy's arms twice in two days, which almost never happens. Maybe we are pushing through the separation anxiety phase? This bug always wakes up as happy as a lark in the mornings. It makes me smile (most mornings)!

A Weary Halloween Week

2012-11-02T13:08:00.003-04:00

Why is it that midweek holidays seem to mess up the whole week? I loved all of the Halloween festivities, but it seems like the days before and after Halloween have been a mess for me. I haven't washed any laundry, the house feels like it is in shambles, Shepherd is cutting a fourth tooth and waking up all night... I just don't feel together. Really, this seems silly to write in light of the destruction Hurricane Sandy left in its path. If you're looking for a way to help, may I suggest the Red Cross' relief efforts? My troubles are nothing, and yet, I'm bogged down in them.

I think part of this is due to my mom leaving last Sunday. We accomplished so much while she was here that I felt overwhelmed when she left. I'm not sure why that is... if anything, she showed me how much is possible to accomplish and easier ways to do some things I want to mark off my list. The days seem a lot quieter without her with us, but at least we have FaceTime. Shep and Mom and Dad chat every day, a routine we all look forward to. Miracle of miracles, my dad actually has his own iPhone now. If you know my dad, you're probably laughing... I think the salesman laughed when he saw my dad's phone he traded in. I think he had his flip phone for at least seven years. Talk about an upgrade!

I hope you guys have a good weekend. I'm looking forward to hitting the refresh button as we fall backward. If current conditions prevail, I doubt there will be any sleeping in, but a girl can dream! Otherwise, we will be painting, cheering for a Husker win against Michigan State, working a little bit more on the nursery and (crossing my fingers) scaling the mountain of laundry. Don't forget to turn your clocks! :)

Halloween 2012

2012-11-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

We were excited to celebrate Shepherd's first Halloween. He received a pair of overalls like this before he was even born last Christmas, and we loved him in them. I found a bigger size of the overalls and the engineer hat at a local children's consignment store, and it just made me smile to put it on his head.

At the last minute yesterday, I decided Shepherd needed a train. I cut out either side from one of our leftover moving boxes and spray painted it brown. I wasn't sure how to paint a train, but I did my best. One side definitely looked better than the other, but it was fun!

Shepherd is too small to trick-or-treat, but we dressed him up anyway. We went down to the train tracks and our little engineer fit right in. I love his cardboard train next to the real thing. We then carved our pumpkin and hoped for trick-or-treaters, but there was nary a costume to be found (that wasn't Shepherd's)! Afterward, we went to a church trunk-or-treat and then over to our friends' home for a bit. It was a fun day, and by the time we got home and put Shepherd to bed, he was almost instantly asleep. Aaron wanted to watch a scary movie, but I refused (I hate them!) and so we settled on some dumb TV show and a little bit of Hocus Pocus. The only frightful thing about our Halloween? Shepherd has continued his habit of waking up around 3 a.m. Trick's on me, I guess!

And if you're not ready to stop celebrating Halloween yet, here is our post from Halloween 2011!

Banned Books Week 2012

2012-10-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

Banned Books Week 2012 was September 30 to October 6 this year. Our community organized a Reading Invasion on the Seward County Courthouse lawn, where people were invited to bring a picnic blanket and a book and participate in a "read-in" celebrating the freedom we have to read what we like.

I was eager to bring some of our favorite books, Where the Wild Things Are and A Wrinkle in Time, because they have been banned from reading in the past. I can't imagine if Shepherd was not allowed to read these childhood favorites.

It may seem silly, but protecting these small liberties is so, so important. The freedom to read whatever we like is what makes our country so good. Choosing how we respond to what we read honors that freedom.

And for all my pride in civic engagement, Shepherd was pretty disinterested in hearing any stories. He mostly wanted to chew on the leaves and crawl around the good grass. Oh well, maybe next year!

Roca Berry Farm's Pumpkin Patch

2012-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about fall is going to the pumpkin patch and finding the perfect carving pumpkin. Last Sunday afternoon (October 14) we drove to the Roca Berry Farm pumpkin patch and spent a few hours walking around the farm, visiting baby animals in the petting zoo, taking a hayrack ride to the patch and enjoying rootbeer floats.

It was almost 70 degrees, and the weather was perfect for strolling the farm. We agreed it will be even more fun next year when Shepherd can walk and run and actually enjoy all of the things offered. Visiting made me want to open my own pumpkin patch here in Seward. You can't not have fun when you see the joy and anticipation all of the kids (and their parents') had as they walked through the entrance.

Of course, the real reason we were there was so we could pick out a pumpkin for Shepherd. Pumpkins were $0.35/pound, and we ended up with our perfect Jack-O-Lantern-to-be for $2.70. We will carve him when my mom is visiting next week. I can't believe that it has been a year since I was pregnant and carving pumpkins!

I should have bought a few more, but I did end up buying mini pumpkins and gourds for inside. Roca Berry Farm has strawberries in spring and summer, and I look forward to taking the 45-minute drive again to pick berries in season.

I think taking a trip out to the farm will become a family tradition. I want to take a picture of Shepherd by the corn stalks every year to see how he grows.

Happy Birthday, Jillian

2012-10-18T00:04:00.000-04:00

Today is my little sister's 21st birthday. The poor girl is celebrating by studying for and taking biochemistry and genetics exams today and tomorrow; fortunately, she has a fun weekend planned with friends, and my parents are going to College Station for the game on Saturday, too.

I am so proud to be Jillian's sister. Our whole lives we have been close, not necessarily best friends, but allies and confidantes and playmates. My sister is creative, selfless, kind, cautious and smart; most importantly, she has the biggest heart for Jesus and, as such, a heart for others. She is Shepherd's biggest fan, and that makes me so happy; I love seeing her as an aunt. She also is an amazing baker and a marathon runner. Basically, she is who I want to be when I grow up.

Jillian, I love you so much, and I am so excited to see where this year will take you. Can't wait to take you out for margaritas next time we are at home!

Nursery Chair + Progress

2012-10-16T14:15:00.000-04:00

We originally purchased an Ikea Jenny Lund chair and planned to convert it to a rocker using this tutorial from Mrs. Wigglebottom. Once Shepherd was born, I was spending a lot more time in the living room than in his nursery, so the chair stayed in the living room. Shepherd's nursery, the living room, and our bedroom were literally ten feet from each other, so we didn't need a place to sit in either our bedroom or his nursery.

The same week we found out Aaron got the job in Nebraska, we stopped at a garage sale and I spotted a rocker that I liked and thought could work in the nursery in the new house. I bought the rocker for $5 (yes, $5!) and we loaded it up and took it home. The fabric wasn't in great shape, but I liked the chair in general, especially for that price. Aaron was not exactly thrilled to be adding more furniture two weeks before we moved, but since we had a huge truck, it wasn't a big deal.

I knew I needed to find fabric to recover the chair ASAP, so I went back to the original design I had for Shepherd's nursery. I still loved the herringbone fabric, and it was still available, so I bought about nine yards and a yard of white denim for the piping. The fabric ended up costing me nothing because I purchased it using a gift card from the pregnancy and melatonin medical study I was in.

The upholsterer Ashley and Jen recommended was amazing; he turned the chair around in less than a week. The movers were literally loading the moving truck as I drove back to our apartment with the newly upholstered chair.

Currently, the chair isn't even in Shepherd's room... Aaron likes that it reclines, so (sigh) it is in our living room. The rule is he can't eat or drink on it, though, so it may end up going to Shepherd's nursery sooner rather than later. I have my eye on a pair of chairs at our local thrift store that could be amazing if recovered. Now, if only I could find a good local upholsterer!

The nursery is still a work in progress, but my mom is visiting next week, and I've got big plans to put her to work to help me finish it before Shepherd turns one. :) Here is the scheme I'm going with:

Obviously, the fabric on the top is the rocker; the zig zag I still need to order; and the Doggy Days fabric on the bottom I have just under three yards of.

I have to tell you the craziest story about the dogs. At the same time I was deciding on fabric for the rocker, I saw the dog print in person and loved it. I pinned it a while ago, and in person it just seemed so fun for a little boy's room. Though it cost more than I wanted to spend, I still had it measured out just to see how much was available. The salesman came back and sort of apologetically told me that since there were fewer than three yards of the print, it was considered a remnant, but he told me he would reduce the price...I eagerly scooped all of it up for $3/yard; almost three yards for $10!

Now, I am working on the room layout, finding a fun rug that doesn't scream baby and can be used as Shepherd gets older, and hanging art. I originally wanted Shepherd's room to be done before he was born, but since that deadline has come and gone (and gone and gone), I am glad I have waited; I wouldn't have been able to get such good deals otherwise.

I will keep you updated on the progress I make in the coming weeks.

Two pumpkin weekend

2012-10-13T22:20:00.001-04:00

This was one of the last weekends of our town's farmers market, so Shep and I walked down to the courthouse to see what we could find. We got two pumpkins, zucchini and beautiful lettuce from Pekarek's, and then we went to the thrift store, where I found three books for Shepherd for a whopping $0.25 each.

We walked around town afterward, looking for garage sales, and found a couple but no treasures.

This week is homecoming, so Aaron has been working a lot of extra hours to capture all of the events going on. He also caught the cold Shep had earlier in the week, and he's felt bad all weekend. He's spent most of the time he's been at home napping, so I know he doesn't feel well.

The last few weeks have been really busy and exciting for me. After babysitting Shep and a two- and five-year-old all week the week before last, I had my first project site launch this week. I worked a lot, and (due to his cold, I think) Shepherd took great naps all week. I am so thankful and feel really blessed for this opportunity, and I am just so happy that it worked out. I know our family needs my income right now, and it's a privilege to do what I do. This opportunity was exactly what we prayed for, even before Shepherd was born, and the fact that it it is being realized just makes me want to work harder in praise.

Yesterday we met Jamanda in Lincoln as she passed through on her way to Omaha, which was so special to me. I loved getting to introduce Shepherd to her. It's like nothing's changed from our Neihardt days every time we meet up, and that's a good thing! :)

• In trivial updates, I am hunting for a dining room rug. Preferably something I can clean easily, because my baby is a messy little eater. Any suggestions?

• After Shepherd was born I got dark spots on my knees that haven't ever gone away. Pregnancy is so weird.

• I miss our Tallahassee pediatrician. He was the best, even though the office was the worst.

• I've noticed so many indie biz bloggers noting their products being knocked off by Target. That disappoints me a lot. Good luck to them as they fight the good fight , and shame on those big corps for stealing other people's hard work (and potential profit). Sucks because it is these people's livelihood, how they support their families, and it's being blatantly ripped off (OK, rant over).

Hope you're having a jolly weekend!

Monday, Monday...

2012-10-08T10:16:00.001-04:00

Our weekend was full of snow flurries, skunkmobiles, Johnny Poppers and unfortunately a Husker meltdown, more on the former three later, and now it's time to get Monday in line.

I'm busy with a big project for work, but I promise to catch up soon. In the mean time, take it easy (like the little guy below). Have a great Monday, you guys!

I Love How Quickly the Seasons Change

2012-10-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up, my family often made trips to Nebraska to see our family. My sister and I always looked forward to the "soft grass" at my grandparents' house. Now that my own family is now living in Nebraska, I am so happy to finally have that same soft grass to lay a blanket over and enjoy the cool weather.

Just last week we were in shorts, and now the temperature dips in the thirties. The cold has snapped us in to a new season. We are wearing socks and sweaters. I absolutely love it; I am happy. Leaves are drying up and falling like golden kamikazes on to the brick streets of our little town, and on blustery afternoons Shepherd and I stroll down the streets and enjoy the colors of the season.

My heart feels happy here. It's hard to explain, but something about a crisp autumn sets my soul right. It's one reason why I love this place so much. The beauty of changing seasons, and the celebrations that fill those seasons, are like a reward for what time takes away from us. Days and years slip out of our grasp, but the memories and traditions of celebrating those times carry forth, and each new season is a reason to look forward. I am truly enjoying this season.

Time to Play

2012-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of the most fun things I've experienced as a mom is observing Shepherd learning to play. In the past couple of months, his personality and his curiosity have blossomed. Now that he is mobile and upright, he has begun to interact with toys and become really interested in their shapes, sounds, appearances, functions, and, of course, their tastes. Everything goes in Shepherd's mouth.

I took out tupperware, spoons, and plastic pitchers for Shepherd to play with, too, and he likes to push empty canisters and bottles across the floor. He has several board books and one cloth book, but he doesn't quite know how to turn pages (except for the cloth book) yet. I'm eager for him to be interested in the pages of the book, but for now, I read until he starts to get squirmy.

One of Shepherd's newest forms of play is mimicking us. During a conversation with my mom yesterday, I coughed, and immediately after, Shepherd would exaggerate blinking and make spitting noises. I caught him the first time, and thought it was a fluke, so I kept doing it. Sure enough, he knew what I was doing and what he was doing, so every time I coughed, he would close his eyes and pretend he was coughing, too. It was hilarious, and he looked like Jeanne in I Dream of Jeanne. I barely caught it on video.

I love how fun our relationship is becoming, and I can't wait to see Shepherd's little personality continue to blossom.

Movin' On Up

2012-09-23T23:38:00.001-04:00

So, this weekend we decided to move our bedroom upstairs. In our 104-year-old house, this meant figuring out a way to get our mattress up a staircase that has a clearance of fewer than 40 inches and turning a right angle. When we first moved in to our rental, sight unseen because of circumstances, we didn't have time to measure or plan where anything would go. In fact, our movers got here before we did, and they were waiting in the driveway when we got here.

They were already unpacking the truck before we'd gone inside the house, so we quickly started designating rooms. The movers said they could manage getting our mattress up the flight of stairs, but said there was no way they could fit our box spring mattress up the staircase, so we quickly decided we'd stay in the third bedroom (downstairs). I regretted that decision almost immediately... the movers were gone, though, and Aaron and I were exhausted, so we didn't move anything. We just wanted to be settled!

So, we stayed with the furniture in this configuration for a month trying to adjust to it. We never did. Finally, we decided we'd just do it and get it over with and switch rooms. This morning we cleared the upstairs with boxes we never unpacked (I always knew we would end up moving) and switched the third bedroom/office and our master bedroom. I love it already... we have so much more room, more light and we are near Shepherd's room.

The only catch was we couldn't have our box spring. Aaron pulled and I pushed the mattress up the tiny staircase, broke down our bookshelves and moved DVDs and books, broke down and rebuild the bed frame and finally had all of the big pieces reassembled in their new homes. Without the box spring, though, our mattress sunk into the frame, so we had to make an emergency trip to Lincoln for plywood. Neither hardware store in Seward was open on Sunday!

It was a tight fit to get the sheets of plywood in Aaron's car, but we managed, and got home just in time to get ready for a surprise party we went to tonight. I am looking forward to sleeping in our "new" bedroom tonight, and think this configuration is going to work a lot better for having a separate "library," aka craft and office space. Now we need a desk and some filing space to have a functional space! Here's a sorta-panorama of the space in transition:

and an adorable baby I saw at Home Depot:

It's funny how small changes make a house feel like a home. We aren't in love with our rental, by any means, but I am realizing that there's no reason for me to wait to do some of the things I want, like switching around our rooms, until we are in our own home, or the next place we live, or wherever. That thought process keeps me from rooting myself where I am and living life as it happens, instead paralyzing me by waiting for something better.

I struggle with getting ahead of myself, especially when I have to deal with the quirks of this place, but it's my experience that once I stop trying to make something work that isn't intended for me and just be opportunities better than those I try to construct come about. Just another lesson that the grass is greener where you water it.

Shepherd :: Seven Months

2012-09-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

Dear Shepherd,

Your seventh month was a fun one for us. It started out with our first day in our new home in a new city and state (and time zone) for you to adjust to, and it has been a wonderful transition for all of us to be back in Nebraska.

This month has seen "capital M" Milestones, things like sprouting two new teeth (which actually started last month) and crawling. You are no longer scooting; for about a week, you've been a hands-and-knees mover and shaker. One of the funniest things about you crawling is how determined you are to get to where you want to go, especially if you are upset. This pairs well with something else we've noticed this month: you have become increasingly dependent on and clingy to me. If I leave the room for a second, even to go in to the next room, you will cry as soon as you realize I'm not there, even if someone else is in the room. This is difficult for your dad, because you are often reaching for and looking at me, crying, when he holds you. If you see me, and you want to be held, you will cry and cry unless I pick you up, even if someone else is holding you. If I leave the room, though, you stop crying and seem to "forget." One thing I want to remember is seeing you crawl, tears streaming down your face, from the dining room to the kitchen where I was cleaning dishes. You look so small and helpless there, but as I watched you move yourself, I saw just how independent you are and will continue to become.

You have become much more interested in books, stuffed toys and everything else in your little world. Your favorite book is the animal book from Birdie because it makes crunchy sounds, and your favorite things to play with are your football, Baby Sophie and anything you aren't supposed to have. We have to have eagle eyes when you're on the floor because you like to climb everything. You easily go from kneeling to pulling up on anything; you want to scale the couches and climb to the top of the jumper.

You seem to understand "no" and "baby" and your name. You babble a lot, and you can parrot what I am saying when you want to. You melt my heart when you repeat "mama" to me after I've asked you to say it. You understand gentle words and smile when you hear them, and you are sensitive, too; when you are spoken to sternly you will cry real tears. Sometimes when your dad is joking, he uses loud noises, and it scares you because you think something is wrong, and then both dad and I feel bad for scaring you.

I think you are a strong-willed little guy already. Your temper is a force when you are upset, mostly when you are hungry or aren't being picked up as soon as you like. You seem to get upset when you can't nurse immediately and when food is taken away from you.

One hallmark of this month has been your foray into solid foods. We began at the beginning of the month with baby-led weaning, and we have enjoyed watching you eat real food from the get-go. You began eating dinners, and you now eat solid food at both lunch and dinner. Your first food was avocado, and in the last month, you have had several types of food including apple, pear, squash, zucchini, broccoli, cheese, cottage cheese, beef, mashed potato, sweet potato, greek and regular yogurt, carrots, rice cake, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bell pepper, tomato, waffle, tortilla, spinach, beans and pasta. The only things you have seemed to truly dislike are pasta and, at first, cottage cheese. You have since taken the cottage cheese, but you will leave pasta on your plate most of the time. We tried raw tomato one time, you may have had a small reaction to it. Your Birdie is allergic to raw tomatoes, so we plan to stay away from tomatoes for a while. I like baby-led weaning because you try a variety of tastes and textures and can self-regulate how you eat. The downside of baby-led weaning has been how messy it is, especially with sauces and yogurts. I really wish we had a dishwasher most nights! Baby-led weaning has not replaced nursing for you; you still nurse 5-6 times a day despite becoming fussy during your late morning/early afternoon feedings. This is perplexing to me, but we are hopefully figuring it out.

Your sleeping habits continue to amaze me. You sleep from 7 p.m. to 6:30-7 a.m. and take two (occasionally three) naps in the day. Your morning nap is from 9:30 to 11:30 and your afternoon nap is from 1:30 to 3:30. You are a creature of habit and thrive on a predictable schedule. I am thankful for this, as it helps us identify if something isn't going well what needs to happen. We also lowered your crib because you figured out how to pull yourself up.

I think you are so funny, little man. You shake your head like you're saying "no" all of the time, and it just cracks us up. When you're doing it we ask you "yes" or "no" questions to see what you say. You're like our adorable little magic 8 ball. You are learning how to give kisses and love to hold on to people who hold you. You can be such a love, and it makes me so happy when you want to cuddle. The moments are rare, but when you fall asleep in my arms, I treasure it. It's amazing how quickly our time has passed.

Your little birthmark on your stomach has almost completely faded, and your hair is definitely coming in. We thought you would be our bald Benjamin Button forever, but, I guess not! You are still sucking on your fingers a lot and will occasionally switch hands and suck on your thumb. Your fingers will pacify you immediately when you are crying, which is helpful, but I'm worried your teeth are going to be crooked because you suck your fingers so much.

This month was the first month since you were 12 weeks old that I have stayed at home with you. It has been such a privilege to be able to do so, and I've really enjoyed it. I am thankful for that gift!

Neat things this month:

You went to your Nana and Papa's house for the first time;
You went to your first two Husker games: the season opener against Southern Miss and the second home game against Arkansas State. We hope you will be a Husker one day, but of course, we will be proud of you no matter what!
You met some of our friends from childhood and college;
You met your Great Grandparents on the Pfanstiel side (Grandpa Great and Grandma Great) and your great-aunts Shelley and Alison and cousin Maggie. You are the first great-grandchild for Grandma and Grandpa Great, and they were very excited to meet you.
Your cousin Kennedy was born today, which means you two are exactly seven months apart. Two little cousins born on the cusp of changing seasons... a spring baby and a fall baby!

We have loved this month and the newness it's brought to our family and the familiarity we find in getting to know you better. I love how you know us and we truly are building a relationship. I look back on pictures of when you were a newborn and just can't believe it. I feel like my heart has always known you. We love you so much, little one, and praise Jesus for the joy of raising you to love him.

Love,

Mama and Daddy

At Seven Months:

Height: 28 inches (80th percentile)

Weight: 16 pounds 6 ounces (16th percentile)

Head circumference:

You are wearing size 6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. Almost all of your jammies need to be replaced because they are too small in the legs and feet.
You are wearing size three diapers; you switched at 6.5 months.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Shepì Pepì

Jacques Pepin
Pepsi (Pepsi Cola, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Maxx (when you're hyper), Caffeine free Pepsi (when you're tired/asleep)

Prince Caspian

Chef Pepi

Tiny Chef

Mr. Pepin

Baby love

angel-pange

I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.

Also, Shepherd :: One Month

Shepherd :: Two Months

Shepherd :: Five Months

Shepherd :: Six Months

2012-09-20T21:38:00.002-04:00

Sweet Shepherd Pie,

We really turned your world upside down this six month. I'm writing you almost three weeks later because some big changes have happened to our family.

First and foremost, let's talk about your development. Baby boy, you have been such a joy to parent. You are still nursing frequently with the plan to begin solid foods when you were six months old. You struggled with sitting up unassisted but progressed as the month did. Despite the fact that you toppled over easily, you wanted to go, and quickly! You scooted and army crawled and tried desperately to get where you wanted to.

You cut your first two teeth this month, too; you have two shiny little bottom nubbies. Your left tooth came first, and then your right one a few days later. They happened to pop out right in the middle of the big event... our move to Nebraska!

In the middle of the month you began sleeping restlessly. You woke up in the middle of the night once or twice, because of the teeth I think, but didn't have any other wake-ups. I think you could also sense that we were on the brink of a big change. My last day of work was August 8, and it ended up being a big relief for me to have time off to be with you and coordinate the logistics of our move. Your last day at Ma's house was August 14; at that point, you were drinking 15-20 ounces of milk at her house and I was really struggling to keep up with your demand. You also hit a big growth spurt and probably grew a foot! Not really, but you did seem to grow tall and you have a lot more hair. Your eyes are brown and bright, but every so often they change to green.

You put everything in your mouth. You love to be held and prefer it to being on the floor, but if we can distract you with a fun toy or book, you will give us a few moments there, too. Your favorite toys have been Baby Sophie, the oBall, diapers; recently, you have taken an interest in your stuffed animals. It is so fun! You have also discovered that the kitties exist, and you think they want to be your playmates. Unfortunately for you, this will be your first lesson in disappointment; Toby is afraid of you and is around you only when he is perched high enough that you can't touch him, and Livy is very sweet and tolerant of you pulling her tail and "petting" her, but she is also afraid of the sounds you make at her. You squeal at both of the cats, talking to them to gain their attention, but they do not make conversation and, more often than not, get scared by your loud noises and run away. I think they are in for a rude awakening when you are mobile!

I am impressed by how you are beginning to show that you are learning things. You are still as happy as can be, but when you get frustrated, you get very frustrated! Sometimes I have to hide my laughter. You are also able to scoot around easily, and we can no longer leave you on the bed; you can push the pillows down and break out of your jail. Not that we learned that the hard way or anything!

Neat things we did this month: (it's long, because we've had a great month!)

Dad went to Nebraska to interview for a new job, and we decided to move back to The Good Life.
We went to Tyler to see Birdie and Poppy while Dad met up with all of the Nix men. Maybe one day you can go! You also got to see Aunt Jilly and Hayden because Jilly had the day off at Pine Cove.
Your Aunt Shannon came to visit one last time before we left Florida.
You met many of my friends and colleagues from the FSU Foundation (and I left my first real job)!
We went to Seaside and said "see you soon!" to the beautiful ocean that we enjoyed for almost three years.
The great migration to the Midwest began! We bid farewell to living in Tallahassee, Florida, and drove to Tyler. We spent a few days with Birdie and Poppy and enjoyed the sunshine and the pool. Then, we drove to Wichita, Kansas, and spent the night with your Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany (Bees) and their puppy Mallie. You absoultely adored Mallie, and she was really sweet to you, even though you pulled her fluffy ears. We are working on "gentle," but you are still a little young to understand the concept.
We moved in to our new house and started our new journey in Nebraska!

We thought the move would be harder on you than it was. With your teeth coming in, we were petrified you would scream the entire journey from Florida to Nebraska. The movers left with our semi-truck on August 15, and we drove to Birdie and Poppy's and spent a few days there. Then we spent the night with Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany. The next day we made the last leg to Seward. You did so good, and managed to hardly cry at all. We were so thankful, because we were so tired and stressed!

The next month will bring a lot of change in our lives, and I am so thankful that our family can experience this journey in a place we love so much. I am eager for you to grow up, at least for now, in this place and to see how you blossom. I am nervous about how this change will affect you, but I know that we are in a wonderful community, and I look forward to growing here.

We love you, little man. Your bright eyes bring us so much joy!
Love,
Mama and Daddy

At Six Months:

Height: unknown (we moved on the date of our six-month appointment, so we will be delayed in these stats)

Weight: unknown

Head circumference:unknown

You are wearing size 3-6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. You have a few size 3 onesies that still fit, too, but just barely. We have packed most of the clothes, and it kind of breaks my heart that we won't need to unpack a lot of baby stuff!
You are wearing size two diapers.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Shepherd Pie

Peppy Pie