Covenant Woman

Authority and Obedience

2012-01-11T11:22:00.002-05:00

I've been teaching Noah at home, although I'm not using any official homeschooling material. I thought I would share today's lesson plan in case anyone else is going through "terrible 3's"! My goal was to teach Noah about authority and obedience from a Biblical perspective. He has really been having a hard time with temper tantrums, aggression, obedience, screaming, etc. He knows that the Bible tells him to obey daddy and mommy, but that typically doesn't pan out. Lord, give me grace to teach my children to love and honor you!

Lesson Plan-Wed, Jan 11

10 minutes-workbook (tracing, letters, sounds, numbers)

5 minutes-coloring pages
10 minutes-flashcards (numbers, lowercase letters, color swatches)
15 minutes-read books together

5 minutes-cut construction paper strips
10 minutes-Bible on authority

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Until children become men and women, they are under their daddy and mommy’s authority. This means that daddy and mommy tell you to do the things that are best for you. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). This command comes with a promise: “Honor your father and mother...that it may go well with you (Ephesians 6:2,3). This means that if you honor daddy and mommy, your life will be much easier. Sometimes it’s not easy to obey, but if you throw a fit and disobey, you will be angry and daddy and mommy will feel upset too. When you feel mad like you want to scream or hit, remember this Bible verse: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Who do you think strengthens you? JESUS! When you feel angry or upset, say this Bible verse. It says you can do anything because Jesus gives you the strength to do what makes God happy. This means you can honor God, daddy, and mommy even when you are throwing a fit by deciding to stop screaming. You can honor God, daddy, and mommy by obeying what daddy and mommy tell you to do. What do you think about that? What should you do today if you get angry or if you start throwing a fit? Who gives you the strength to do that? Let’s say Philippians 4:13 together a few times.

My Little Bookworm

2009-05-08T09:30:00.004-04:00

So much has happened since my last post! Noah had some Easter pictures taken. Here are some of my favs:

Gigi and Aunt Cappy came to meet Noah for the first time:
We had a surprise birthday party for Gigi while she was here:
Noah started eating oatmeal. Here he is waiting patiently for daddy to feed him:
Noah has started to smile, laugh, and interact more:
He got his first 2 teeth!!!
And he can sit up supported by his hands!
He can also roll both ways now. Here's a cute little video:

I can't believe he's already 5 months old. Almost half a year! His 4th month has been my favorite so far. He smiles so big when his daddy comes home from work...it's like he's been waiting ALL DAY for daddy to come through the front door! He also loves books. He gets really excited when I put a book in front of him and every time I turn the page, he kicks and smiles and shakes his little arms. He pays attention to every word I read and every picture on the page! Hopefully his love for books will continue for a long time!

Mama's Rolling, Non-Huggies, Button-Pusher

2009-03-21T20:41:00.006-04:00

Welp, it happened. Noah said his first word! Well, he randomly mumbled some sounds that sounded like a word, so I'm counting it! He actually said it 3 times in one day (last Friday). What was it? "Mama" of course! I've been saying "mama, mama, mama" over and over in his face for the last 3 1/2 months, so I'm happy! :)

In other news, Noah continues to grow and learn new things every day it seems. He is "into" Baby Einstein right now. We've only got one DVD, but he watches it over and over in amazement. It's the Noah's Ark one with lots of different animals. We prop him up on his boppy and he stares wide-eyed at the screen! I'll have to get a video!

He has also started to roll over again. I thought he might have forgotten how, and I still think he did for awhile. But he's back at it! Here's a video:

Here's one of him from a few weeks ago that I think is so cute! He had 3 blow-outs in 3 days. I blame Huggies. Once we finished the pack of Huggies, I went back to Luvs and Noah has had better luck with those. I also like Pampers Baby Dry. So, here we are discussing the blow-outs:

He's also learned how to push the buttons on the crib toy that Gigi gave him. It's like his little iPod. He pushes it until he gets to the song he wants to hear. He's a smart kid, what can I say?

He's still fascinated with his hands and he loves watching them. It's really cute to spy on him while he turns his hands and puts them together and tries to get them in his mouth. He is smiling more and seems to interact with people more. He stills gives people the "you're crazy" look-you know, when he cuts his eyes and pushes his eyebrows down. We were having dinner with some friends last night and they have twins 8 month old girls. He was staring at them at the dinner table, so I said "are you looking at those pretty girls?" and he gave the biggest, gummiest grin! The whole table busted out laughing!

Noah's Bath

2009-03-09T12:51:00.004-04:00

Noah loves getting a bath! Check it out:

My Theologically Sound Son With Swollen Feet

2009-02-28T01:38:00.008-05:00

Noah has been learning how to sit up and he loves sitting in his daddy's chair!
Well, mommy decided to have a little fun and Noah didn't seem to mind!

We're getting him started early! Jonathan Edwards, Polhill, Piper, Nettles and Moore and of course, the ESV Study Bible!

He got so excited about the books!

My personal favorite:
Noah had his 2 month appointment yesterday. He was 8 days shy of 3 months, so they did his
percentiles against 3 month olds. Here's how he stacked up:

Weight: 12 pounds, 14 ounces: 50th percentile
Length: 24 inches: 50th-75th percentile

He got 3 vaccine shots in his pork chops (his chubby legs) and it was awful. When we got home, a friend of mine was changing his diaper and noticed that Noah's feet looked swollen. I agreed with her, so I called the clinic at Noah's doctor's office. The nurse instructed me to massage his legs and feet to help the swelling. She said that it should go away by morning. Well, it didn't go away. In fact, it seemed worse today. Another friend commented on how swollen they were this afternoon, so I called the doctor's nurse. She sounded panicked as she said "Whatever you do, don't give him Benedryl. Bring him in immediately." Well, I did what any other mom would do. I left the house right away and panicked. Dr. Jones saw Noah right when we arrived. He pushed all over Noah's body and said that there was no swelling. Then he held Noah's little feet and gently pushed all around. His pushes got more intense. Finally, he concluded that Noah...simply has fat feet. That's right, my son was diagnosed with having fat feet. Yes, we are still laughing about it.

Noah's Sunday Getup

2009-02-18T14:54:00.003-05:00

Check out Noah after church on Sunday. He is such a stud!

Lynne Cheney, Snow and a Tiny Little T-Shirt

2009-02-14T15:53:00.005-05:00

Noah is such a peaceful sleeper. I love watching him snoring away (yes, he does snore...and LOUDLY!). Here are some pictures on his boppy:

Oddly enough, it snowed in Augusta! Here are some pictures from Noah's first snow. I know, I know. You can't see any snow. So it was a light snow, so what?!

"Spurgey" (as I like to call him) has been super fussy for the last week and a half. He had cold symptoms, so I called the doctor to see what I should do. The nurse told me to clean his nose with an aspirator and put saline drops in his nose. I couldn't bring myself to do the saline drops because it brings back bad memories. About 2 weeks ago I was giving Noah a bath and he was really enjoying himself. He was kicking around and splashing. He kept making eye contact with me and grinning from ear to ear! I mean, he was LOVING his bath! I was so enthralled with his joy that I wasn't paying much attention to what I was doing. So, I would wash a body part and then dump water on it to rinse the suds away. I was just a-talking to my little guy while I washed his face. Without thinking, I dumped water on his face...and up his little nose. His face went from complete joy to complete terror. It was AWFUL! He started choking, coughing, and then screaming. I felt like a complete failure as a mom!!!! So, needless to say, I couldn't do the saline drops up the nose. But I did keep his clean with the aspirator. However, his symptoms kept getting worse and he kept getting more and more restless. He wasn't smiling anymore and looked pitiful:
So his daddy decided to cheer him up by reading to him.
His book of choice? "America: A Patriotic Primer" written by Lynne Cheney. Noah learned things like "S is for Suffrage. In 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, women began the long struggle for suffrage, or the right to vote. In 1920 their voting rights were recognized all across the nation." And "M is for Madison. James Madison, our fourth president, was so important when our nation was getting started that he is called the Father of the Constitution. He was primarily responsible for the Bill of Rights."
Yes, Noah does have socks on his hands. He has the COLDEST little hands and I can't get those baby gloves to stay on him anymore! So, I have resorted to socks.

Finally, yesterday, I called and made him an appointment. The doctor found that Noah has his first ear infection. Poor baby! He is now taking anti-biotics and tylenol in addition to his two reflux meds. Here's a video of my poor baby. He's usually so smiley and happy, but here's what he's been like:

(On a sidenote, the weather in Augusta is crazy. It will be 30 degrees one day and then 77 the next. It was 77 yesterday when I took him in, so I dressed him in a little t-shirt.)

No-ee Detergent

2009-02-07T18:26:00.003-05:00

Noah is growing up SO fast! I took an unofficial measurement at home on his 2 month birthday and he weighed 12.5 pounds and was 23 inches long! I just love my baby so much...I can't believe I lived 27 years without him.

Let me explain "No-ee Detergent" in the video. When my mom's mom (who is Mexican) heard that we named our baby "Noah Spurgeon", she couldn't say it. She thought he named him "Noah Detergent"!!! How cute, huh?! Well, when I talked to her on the phone, she couldn't pronounce "Noah" correctly, so she said she was just going to call him "No-ee Detergent." I think it's so adorable, so I call him that sometimes too!

We've all been sick this week. I felt bad for a few days and then Noah started getting whiny and had a runny nose. Now JD is sick and he has it worse than either of us. He's keeps getting fever and is going through Kleenex like you wouldn't believe. Hopefully he doesn't get me and Noah sick again!

Smiles, snow, and a BAD DOG!

2009-02-02T11:47:00.003-05:00

Well, Noah is just growing like crazy! We had to take him to the doctor last Monday and he weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces. He's gaining about 1/2 pound per week. I don't know what is average, but it seems like he's growing up WAY too fast. He has started smiling so much, especially when he's on his changing table. We call it his "happy place" because for whatever reason, he just grins the whole time he up there!

I think his first words are going to be "NO, Bojay!" or possibly "Bojay, NO!" We are saying that a lot nowadays. Bojay is definitely getting jealous of Noah. She tries to be in the middle of everything. She is also doing things that she knows she's not supposed to do. Peeing on the floor, chewing up Noah's things, and jumping on the furniture. We're trying to give her as much attention as possible, but the fact is that Noah gets first priority! Poor Bojay...she even has 2 big growths on her feet. We're taking her to the vet tomorrow. JD's not looking forward to the expense of it. A few months ago, she had to have a growth taken out of her ear and it was not cheap!

Noah's reflux doesn't seem to be getting much better even though his doctor put him on an additional medicine. I am really wondering if he has an allergy to some kind of food that I'm eating. I have been super careful with what I eat. No citrus or tomato based anything. Very little dairy. No spicy foods. Now I'm trying to watch peanut butter and nuts just in case he's allergic. So I've been eating a lot of meat and bread! I can't wait until I can eat lots of dairy. I'm already starting a list of things I want to eat. 5 cheese ziti from Olive Garden, a cookies-n-cream milkshake from Chick-fil-A, and hot chocolate are a few of the things on the list.

My camera died, but after I charge it I will add some pictures of Noah's first snow. Yes, it actually snowed in Augusta, GA! I don't think you can see the snow in the picture, but it was there, I promise!

I've been getting ready to jump start my own business in graphic design. I will be displaying some of my wedding designs (programs and save-the-dates) at a wedding show this weekend. I'm also working on a logo for a local photographer. I love that my office is on my couch and I can work in my pjs. I can also have Noah laying right next to me while I work. I just love the stage of life I'm in right now! I have an incredible husband, amazing baby, and fun job! Oh yeah, and I can't forget Bojay...poor dog!

Here are some pictures of Noah looking all cute and everything:

My Balding, Super Long Chubs

2009-01-17T16:48:00.007-05:00

YEA!! I'm finally caught up! Noah turned 6 weeks old yesterday. I noticed that he is going bald on one side of his head, so I asked a friend with 2 young children about it. She asked which side he sleeps on and I told her the side that's going bald. She said that is what it's from. Here are pictures. Can you tell a difference?

I decided to put his little hospital outfit on him a few days ago. I couldn't believe it when he tried to straighten legs but didn't have the space to do so. He kept attempting to stretch, but getting caught. I am also having a hard time buttoning some of his 0-3 month outfits. I'm so excited to see how much he's grown at his next doctor's appointment in 2 weeks. Here he is in his hospital outfit with his knees bent!

For the first time since he's been born, everyone is commenting on how chubby he is getting. I love chubby babies! Here's a close-up of my "Chubs"!!!

Noah-Week 4

2009-01-14T16:39:00.005-05:00

I couldn't believe it when January 5th came. That meant Noah was officially 1 month old! It made me sad in a lot of ways. I want him to stay little bitty! I've already talked to him about always loving his mommy. We've also talked about him only kissing his mommy and his wife one day...no other girls!! :)

Noah has pretty significant acid reflux. We started him on one medicine, but felt like it wasn't doing much. After a couple of weeks, we switched to another medicine for about a week. That was the worst week Noah has had! Poor baby! He was projectile vomiting like crazy. Sometimes when I was burping him, I would hear milk come up and find it a foot or two away on the couch. Thank goodness we have a leather couch! He would also "spit up" his milk over my shoulder onto the floor a few feet away. We talked to his doctor and decided to double the dosage of the first medicine. That has been helping him a lot. We have an inclined sleep positioner for him to sleep on, but we can hear the milk coming up into his throat all night long. It sounds like a gurgling sound in the back of his mouth. He clears his throat a lot too. (He's actually clearing his throat right now!).

One of my best friends, Sarah Thompson (www.SarahTPhotography.com), took some 1 month pictures of Noah. Enjoy!

Noah-Week 3

2009-01-13T18:30:00.003-05:00

I learned a lot about music for babies in week 3 of Noah's life. First, I realized that I don't know many lullabies. I tried to sing "Rock-a-by-Baby" to Noah and I sang "Rock-a-by-Baby on the tree top. When the wind blows, the cradle will fall." I thought to myself "no, that's not right. Why would I tell Noah that his cradle's going to fall when the wind blows? That's mean." So I tried different variations, but couldn't figure it out. I listened a version on one of his baby CDs and realized that it said that the cradle will ROCK. "Oh, that's much better," I thought to myself. I listened as the lady kept singing. "When the bough breaks the cradle will fall and down will come baby cradle and all." WHAT?! I'm not going to tell my baby that he's going to fall down from the tree in his cradle! What kind of crazy person wrote this song? It's just mean!

Next, I tried singing "Hush Little Baby" to Noah. It went something like this: "Hush little baby, don't you cry. Mama's gonna buy you a pumpkin pie. And if that pumkin pie tastes bad, mama's gonna buy you a brand new rag. If that brand new rag is wet, mama's gonna buy you a big leer jet..." And so, and so forth. I didn't know the first thing I was supposed to tell Noah that I would buy him! I still don't know and I really don't care because that's mean too! I don't want to tell him that I'm going to buy him all of this great stuff when I can't afford any of it!

Then, it was "This Little Piggy" on his little toes. I said "this little piggy went to the market. This little piggy went to the show. This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. And this little piggy went "nee, nee, nee" aaaalllllllll the way home!" JD laughed and said I had it all wrong. I don't know the real words to that one either!

I was pleased to learn that Noah is a folk rocker. He isn't calmed down by the little "tone music" that comes on his pack-n-play, swing, gym, etc. He likes real music. I put together some songs that he seems to really like. I mixed in a little big of jazz too. Here is a sample of songs that Noah falls asleep to:

Lullabies (According to Nikki)
"Angel" Jack Johnson
"Baby Mine" Alison Krauss
"Be Careful" Patty Griffin
"Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby" Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch
"Mr. Bojangles" Bob Dylan
"Smile" Harry Connick Jr.
"Stolen Car" Patty Griffin
"Sweet Baby James" James Taylor
"The Way You Look Tonight" Harry Connick Jr.
"Yesterday" The Beatles
"You Are My Sunshine" Sara Hickman
"You Are So Beautiful" Joe Cocker
"You Can Close Your Eyes" James Taylor

Here are some pictures I took of Noah when he was 3 weeks old. The bib was a gift from his Great Aunt Cappy and the cap was a gift from Grandma Barbara.

Noah through Christmas Day

2008-12-27T17:56:00.014-05:00

Noah's first week at home was very tiring, but incredible at the same time. We were getting about 2 hours of sleep per night (on average) and we had no idea what we were doing! Every time he would make a noise, I would rush over to hold him. I later read that when babies are their light sleeping stage, they make a lot of noises. However, I didn't read that until a few days ago. We found that Noah slept best when we put him on our chests. He looks SO adorable when we do this! He pulls his little legs up under his body and curls up in a little ball. It's my absolute favorite way to hold him.

We gave him his first bath at home at 5 days old. He wasn't crazy about it.
We soon realized that we have a very noisy baby. He doesn't cry a lot, but he coos while he's trying to fall asleep. He grunts when he's frustrated. He honks sometimes, too! And he has a LOT of gas! I love him so much that I even think it's cute when he has gas!

I borrowed my mom's camera and took some pictures of Noah when he was somewhere between 1-2 weeks old.

At 2 weeks old, Noah weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. His head circumference was 14". He was in the 50th percentile on all 3 measurements! His doctor was very pleased with Noah's growth, especially his weight gain.

My dad, little brother, and his girlfriend came up on Dec 20. Here are some pictures my dad took:Baby's first Christmas.

A very proud mama.

Mama and her Little Toasty Burrito.
Billy and Irena

Billy was excited about his first present!
Noah's little hand holding on to his daddy's big hand.

Noah staring up at his daddy.

My mom smelling a candle we got for her. Since my dad took most of the pictures, they mostly of us! I don't have many of my parents.

We got a very special Christmas gift. Noah's cord stump fell off on Christmas Day! That means that we could stop being paranoid when we change his diaper and puts clothes on him. I was always scared when I changed his diaper too. So, it was a big accomplishment!

Noah Up Until 5 Days Old

2008-12-27T16:08:00.006-05:00

So, where were we? Oh, yes. Noah was born at 5:32pm on Dec. 5. I have never been in so much pain in my entire life. Giving birth really hurts! And I had medicine to numb the pain! My respect for women who give natural childbirth definitely went through the roof. Anyway, the doctor held Noah up for me to see before she cut the cord. All I could do was cry! I was so overwhelmed with the pain of giving birth and the incredible joy of seeing my son for the first time. I just cried and cried! They got him all cleaned up and gave him to me to hold for the first time. I was crying even harder! It was just so amazing! I loved seeing my husband hold Noah for the first time too. Little Noah was so calm as we passed him around for everyone to see.

Once Noah was in the nursery, we didn't get to see him again until around 10:30. His temperature had dropped down quite a bit, so they had him under the warming lamp for a few hours. I had never been in the hospital before (besides a few random emergency room events), so I didn't realize how hard it is to rest, even at night. People were coming in all day and all night checking different things. We were so thankful when Sunday came around and we could go home.

We decided to grab Wendy's on the way home so we could eat quickly and then sleep. Well, we didn't think about our Basset Hound, Mrs. Bojangles, who hadn't seen us since Friday morning. We walked in the door and she went BIZERK. She was jumping all over us and running like mad around the house. She didn't even notice Noah at first. We managed to get everything in the house and we decided to put Noah down in his brand new swing. "This will be so peaceful," we thought. Well, Noah screamed bloody murder when we put him in the swing. That made Bojay freak out. The entire house was in an uproar and I didn't know what to do about Noah! Should I just hold him and try to eat my burger? Should I nurse? Should I lay him down to see if he would sleep? This was literally within the first 5 minutes I had my first child home. I was so upset because he was screaming and crying like I'd never seen a baby do before. I decided to hold Noah and eat my burger, which was piled high with veggies. It was messy, but we made it through.

Thankfully, my mom was in town and she took care of the house for me. She cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and held Noah when I couldn't console him. I can't remember all of the specifics, but I think we got about 1 1/2 hours of sleep the first few nights we were home. My milk hadn't come in yet, so I was upset that Noah wasn't getting enough to eat. I was feeding him formula because I was scared. He was spitting up so much that he would choke himself often. I took him to the doctor when he was only 5 days old! The doctor said he had acid reflux and gave him some medicine, which helped. Poor baby! Even my mom was scared because he would throw up so violently sometimes.

Noah loved being swaddled, so he quickly earned the nickname "Little Toasty Burrito" (pronounced "My Widdle Toasty Bu-weed-o"). Here are some pictures of my Little Toasty Burrito around 5 days old:

Well, this is getting super long. I will stop for now, but I'll continue soon.

PS-Noah is sleeping so peacefully in his swing at this very moment. It just took some getting used to, but now he loves it!

Noah's Birthday

2008-12-24T14:01:00.005-05:00

So, I have once again fallen behind on my blog. I want to update everyone on our baby boy, but I'm going to do it one step at a time. Here's the story of Noah's birth:

What: Noah's Birthday
Where: University Hospital, Augusta, GA
When: December 5, 2008

JD and I were supposed to report to the 3rd floor desk promptly at 6:00am on December 5. Go figure-we were late. We prayed for our son and his birthday on the way to the hospital and it suddenly seemed so real to me. This was really it! I would meet this little baby who had been kicking, stretching, and hiccuping inside of me! So, at 6:30am, we pulled up to the hospital and rushed up to the 3rd floor to be induced. I was 38 weeks, 6 days pregnant.
Our nurse was named Victoria and she was about my age. We immediately hit it off and I felt very comfortable about the day. I was scared that my nurse would be heartless for some reason!! But I loved Victoria. We talked theology, babies, and life in general. I was already having contractions about 3 minutes apart, but they were so light that I couldn't even feel them. Victoria started the drip around 7:00 or 7:30 and the contractions began to intensify. By 10:30, I told her I was ready for the epidural. They made JD leave the room because they have had too many husbands pass out when they see the needle!! My nerves were on edge and I was shaking uncontrollably. I knew that I had to be super still while I was getting the epidural and my contractions were already hurting pretty bad. So Victoria held my hands and you know...it wasn't that bad! I mean, it hurt, but not like I had anticipated.

JD came back in smelling like Chick-fil-A and I was SO hungry. I started craving a Chick-fil-A sandwich like you wouldn't believe! This craving lasted the rest of the day. ANYWAY. I'll skip all the medicine issues, but the bottom line is that they got it perfect. I was able to feel each and every contraction with a small amount of pain that was tolerable. I knew when to push and when each contraction was over. I dilated to 10 cm fairly quickly and around 4:45, I had an overwhelming urge to push. The doctor rushed in about 5:00 and I pushed for 30 minutes. Noah was born at 5:32pm!

To be continued...

Dill Pickle Potato Chips

2008-10-31T18:21:00.003-04:00

Did you know that they make chips in all different kinds of crazy flavors now? I just got back from Wal-Mart and I saw ketchup flavored chips, jalepeno flavored chips, and dill pickle flavored chips. I, of course, bought the dill pickle chips made by Pringles. I am pregnant afterall.

My college roommate and I used to put dill pickle slices on top of baked lays and that tasted better than these Pringles. The Pringles are good, don't get me wrong. But there's nothing like baked lays with dill pickle slices...mmm!

So, I tried to give my basset hound a dill pickle chip to see what she thought. She dropped the chip and sniffed it for awhile. Then she flung backwards and started barking hysterically at the chip. Next she was digging in the carpet around the chip. Needless to say, she's not a fan.

BAD DOG!

2008-10-26T19:50:00.002-04:00

Pregnancy does all kinds of crazy things to your mind. Here's a story from a few nights ago that is just HILARIOUS!

Mrs. Bojangles had been sick with stomach issues, so when I heard her ring the bell at 3:30 a.m., I got out of bed as fast as I could. (We have a bell on the back door and she rings when needs to go potty or wants to go outside.) I definitely didn't want her to vomit on the carpet! So I dashed out of our bedroom to find Bojay sitting at the entrance to the kitchen. It looked like she was squatting, so I said "Bojay, NO! Come on!" I tried to get her to come towards the back door, but she wouldn't budge. I was getting angry because I didn't want poop on the carpet either! In a loud voice, I said "BAD GIRL! GO OUTSIDE!"

The next thing I knew, Bojay ran towards me from behind the couch. She went to the back door with no problem, but I was really confused. If Bojay was behind the couch, then what had I been yelling and pointing at? Well, it was 3:30 a.m., so I didn't really care at that point. The next morning, I went to see what was sitting at the entrance of the kitchen. It was a bag of dog food. A bag of stupid dog food! So, for the first time in my life, I got angry and yelled at a bag of dog food. I definitely blame this event on pregnancy.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

2008-10-12T16:53:00.006-04:00

Well, it's officially begun. I guess I should have expected it by now. What am I talking about? It's all of those comments that you should never say to a pregnant woman.

So, first, I was at the grocery store waiting in line to pay and the man behind me says "MAN! You look like you're about to drop that baby!" I boldly said "well, actually, I still have 2 more months to go." The next I knew, the man was putting my groceries into bags and into my cart! I told him he didn't have to do that, but it was nice that to receive a little something back after he just told me that I look huge! Open mouth, insert foot.

Then, a total stranger (another male, I might add) asked me when the baby was due. I smiled and said "December 13th." He looked surprised and said "you don't look like you're going to make it another 2 months!" I just smiled and said "yup...he sure is growing."

Oh, and let's not forget that my dad keeps telling me that he's sending me a wheel barrel so I can lug my stomach around in it.

Come on, people! I am only 5'0 tall! My doctor says I am measuring right on target, but I know I look bigger since I am so short. Don't get me wrong. I love hearing "aww! Your belly is getting so big and cute!" or "Your belly is growing!" It's all in how you word it. Just remember that next time you think "MAN! She's huge..." just say "awww! Look at that adorable belly!" and leave it at that.

Progress Nursery Pictures

2008-10-09T22:25:00.007-04:00

Here are some progress pictures on Noah's nursery:

JD after painting all 4 walls apple green:
Here's the blue stripe right after JD painted it (well, measured from top and bottom, leveled, penciled in, taped, and painted it):
After the tape was taken off (and a healthy smoothie I made for him while he labored):
My friend Kim came over to help me put the bedding on the crib.

Here's a close-up of the inside:
I love the bedding SO much!+

I went grocery shopping and came home to the glider! JD has really been working hard.

Here's the newly painted walls, crib, and glider all together:

We ended up having to send the bedding back (some of the chocolate brown bled), but they are sending us brand new bedding! So here I am somewhere between 30 and 31 weeks in front of Noahs' bedding-less crib.

Next we have the closet shelves and dresser/changer combo! More pictures to come!

New Lesson Learned

2008-10-02T15:13:00.002-04:00

Toaster ovens can, in fact, set fire to oven mitts. Lesson learned.

The Life of a Pregnant Woman

2008-09-12T16:20:00.002-04:00

Not that I had the best sense before I got pregnant, but this is ridiculous! Here are a few examples of my senselessness from the past week:

1. It was time to wash my face before bed one night, so I got the facewash out of the shower and washed my face. Afterwards, I put the bottle back in the shower for the morning. A few minutes later, I look down and there's my facewash on the sink counter. I thought to myself "what? I know I put that back in the shower already." So I walk over to put it back in the shower and there's my deodorant sitting in the shower.

2. A few nights ago we rented a movie and ate pizza for dinner. My slow-moving husband with pneumonia was already sitting down waiting for me. He had already gotten his pizza, drink, etc. I started for the chair, but then remembered I wanted garlic sauce on my pizza. So I put the sauce on and head back for the chair. Oops...I forgot my napkin. So I go back into the kitchen to get a napkin. Let's try again. I walk towards my chair and finally, I sit down. My hubby pushes play on the DVD player and then I remember...I forgot my water.

3. I can't remember the third one...

4. Oh yeah. While we were watching that same movie in #2, I got up to get a refill of water and tripped over a huge box with our glider in it. Don't ask me how I didn't see it, but I didn't. We were laughing so hard that I couldn't even make it into the kitchen!

This kind-of thing is a daily occurance for me lately. Let's just hope my sense comes back once the baby is born!

Georgia Tech Baby

2008-09-06T18:43:00.004-04:00

I always seem to get behind on my blog!! Here are some belly pictures from this week, which is week 26. I'm wearing my homemade Georgia Tech shirt! So far we're 2 for 2! GOOOOOOOOO JACKETS!! STING 'EM! JD is really sick right now, so we've been staying in a lot over the past 2 weeks. The doctor says it's probably pneumonia, but they are doing some more tests early next week. I'm sanitizing everything in our house!! I don't want pneumonia!

I'm also trying my hand at gardening in pots. I have chives and oregano in the backyard. I don't have a clue what I'm doing! I use those spices all the time, so I thought it would be cheaper to just grow my own. We'll see how long it lasts! If these are successful, I'd like to try mint and parsley next.

We've been cleaning out our closets, drawers, under the beds, and everywhere in order to make room for our son. I love throwing things away...seriously! I can't stand clutter, so it makes me happy to get rid of junk. Don't worry-we're giving anything of value to Goodwill. We're not just throwing away perfectly good stuff. We have found a lot of trash, though, and it feels AMAZING to get rid of it all!

It's a...

2008-07-18T21:11:00.004-04:00

BOY!! We found out earlier today that our little one is a baby boy! Now we get to start deciding on a name, nursery colors, things to register for, etc. How fun! Here's a video of when we found out:

Be sure to watch the 2:45 mark! It cracks me up every time I hear what the sonogram tech says!!

Our little boy is active (although I did drink some cherry coke right beforehand). The sonogram tech couldn't get a picture of both feet because he was just kicking away! We loved seeing the little face, spine, arms, legs, feet....it's just amazing!! I love that we can peek into the womb as God knits together a life inside of me!

17 Weeks-Exciting Week!

2008-07-11T07:53:00.002-04:00

This has been the most exciting week so far. I felt the baby move for the first time!!! I was laying in bed reading a magazine when I felt this tiny little spasm a few inches below my belly button. I called JD in-"BABE! Get in here! I think I felt the baby move!" He ran in and by the time got to the room, I had felt it again. I put his hand where I was feeling the movement, but he couldn't feel it from the outside. I could only feel it from the inside. That was Tuesday night. I was sitting at my desk at work Wednesday morning and the baby was going bonkers! Just kicking and jabbing like crazy! All I felt were tiny little spasms. Thursday I was on the phone with someone helping me with a design program and in the middle of her explaining something complicated, the baby kicked SO hard that I double over and said "OH MY GOODNESS!" really loud into the phone. The poor girl was like "uh...so anyway" and I just said "sorry about that!" It didn't hurt at all; it just surprised me that the kick was so strong!

The following picture was taken yesterday when I was 17 weeks and 5 days along. I like to get pictures at the beginning of the week, but I have fallen behind this week. My belly POPPED out this week!! I definitely look pregnant now! The night of July 4th, we decided to stay home and do a 3-D puzzle that someone gave us for Christmas (I think it was my aunt or my Grandma). We have been wanting to try it because neither of us have even done a 3-D one before. So, we just stayed in worked on it. It took FOREVER just to get the base done! We worked on it about 3 hours that night. The next day, JD was determined to finish it. I got frustrated with it (plus I was having ligament stretching pains really bad), so he literally worked on it ALL day long. I helped him here and there, but it was mostly his thing. Here is the finished product! It is still being displayed proudly on our dining room table:

16 Weeks

2008-07-06T16:48:00.005-04:00

Sorry about this post being a week late! I won't post my 17 week pictures until later in the week. I'm eating SO much more and I can actually go into restaurants now. I have cooked a couple of times, which makes JD very happy!

I think this is the first week that I consider myself "showing." I love it! It's so fun and makes it all a bit more real. I haven't felt any "flutters" yet, but the doctor says they should be coming soon.

Here I am at 16 weeks along:

Also, we just got some AMAZING artwork from Mickie Winters (http://www.mickiewintersart.com/). She's an incredible talent and offers modern Christian art. We chose these 5 pieces:
1. The Fall
2. The Beatitudes
3. The Crucifiction
4. The Changed Heart of a Christian
5. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer (the stitched heart) and Missions/Evangelism as Others See That Work in Your Life

The gospel message is now in our dining room! What a topic of conversation as we have others over to our house for meals.

15 Weeks Along!

2008-06-25T09:37:00.002-04:00

We had our 15 week appointment and everything looked good. We heard the heartbeat and it was somewhere between 120-130 beats per minute. My baby bump looks like it shrunk a little bit when I compare the pictures! My weight has gone up a tiny bit, about a half a pound. I have started taking generic Zofran and have only gotten sick once in the last week and a half! That's pretty good! All of the baby books say that I should be gaining a pound per week from here on out, so hopefully that will start happening soon!

Our little one is now the size of apple, weighing 2 1/2 ounces and measuring about 4 1/2 inches. According to BabyCenter.com, "although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam." Isn't that amazing?!

I'm starting to look into different ways to prevent stretch marks. Let me know if you have something that worked for you!

I've been able to eat a lot more foods this week. I can really eat a lot for breakfast and lunch. Dinner time is usually when I feel the worst, so I usually eat a bowl of cereal or a veggie sandwich (JD laughs because I just put cheese, lettuce, pickles and mustard on it. Hopefully I'll be able to build it up even more next week!

Welcome to My Second Trimester!

2008-06-16T21:12:00.004-04:00

I'm officially in my second trimester. I still FEEL like I'm in the first. I'm still getting sick a lot and don't have much of an appetite, but hopefully that will end soon. I am definitely getting a baby bump, which makes me very happy! Here are some pictures that JD took on Saturday, which was week 14 (of 40): I'm still not able to eat many things. I can eat pineapple, grapes, apples, bread, soup, and crackers. Yech...I'm so sick and tired of soup and crackers. I've found some alternatives, like tortillas and rice, but I'm really wanting to eat real food! Smoothies have been good too, but I can't find a single place in all of Augusta that makes their smoothies with fresh fruit. It's all with nasty syrup or "pureed fruit in a bottle."

Bojay definitely knows something is wrong with me. Everytime I get sick, she just sits and watches me. When I lay down to take a nap (usually right after I get home from work), she goes in my room and sits there until I lay down. Then she goes to her chair and lays down too. And everytime I look down, she's sitting at my feet. She's so sweet! Here she is relaxing in her chair:

11 Weeks Pregnant and a trip to Memphis

2008-05-25T20:19:00.005-04:00

We had our 11 week appointment on Thursday. It was really incredible hearing the heartbeat again! It took the doctor about 10-15 seconds to find the heartbeat and I was getting SO nervous waiting! She kept moving the doppler around my stomach, but kept finding nothing. Then we heard a faint beating. She adjusted the doppler just a bit and the heartbeat came in loud and clear! It was somewhere between 150-160 beats per minute.

Let me just say that my nausea is still full force. I thought it was getting better, but the last three days have been bad. I'll hopefully only have 2 more weeks of getting sick! I can't wait to start taking "belly" pictures. I think you're supposed to start after the first tri-mester, which will be in 2 weeks. I might be showing a little bit...or maybe I'm just bloated. I'm not sure!

Here's a list of foods that I used to like 11 weeks ago, but now they make me vomit: carrots, strawberries, potato soup (that made me queasy to type), greasy anything, ginger ale, Club crackers, kettle popcorn and cucumbers. But I really like pineapple, watermelon, Cheetos, root beer, cherry limades, crunchy granola bars, and grapes.

On a better note, we met my parents and little brother in Memphis for a few days. It was so much fun! We went to Graceland, the zoo, and Beale Street. Here are some photos:

Here we are wearing our Graceland headphones. I'm pretty sure they don't disinfect those things. I was grossed out.

Here's the outside of Graceland.

Elvis decorated Graceland funkier than I expected him. I thought it would be elegant and ritzy. But it was 70's fantastic!

Here's Elvis' grave.

And the cutest little monkey ever! I'm not joking-he was looking right at me the whole time I was trying to get his picture!

This ape was HUGE. I actually felt sorry for him. He was staring at all the people staring at him. He went to the middle of his yard area and just watched everyone. He looked so confused.

Hey Jude

2008-05-06T21:07:00.003-04:00

We are SO teaching our kid a cool song too!

7 week sonogram!

2008-04-28T21:21:00.002-04:00

JD and I went to our first appointment last week and it was AMAZING! The baby is now the size of a blueberry. The sonogram tech explained what everything was and when she pointed out the baby, the baby was pulsating! The sonogram tech said that was the baby's heartbeat. She flipped a switch and we could actually hear the heartbeat! It was 136 beats per minute. I was speechless-all I could do was listen to the little life inside of me. JD kept saying "wow....wow..." the whole time. I am just amazed at the Lord's creation of life!

Psalm 139:13-16 says "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

PRAISE GOD for He is the maker of life!

Big News...

2008-04-07T11:32:00.001-04:00

The Best Food On the Planet

2007-11-08T13:13:00.000-05:00

I have just discovered my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE snack! I cannot get enough of these things! They taste exactly like the Girl Scout's Thin Mints. They are Keebler "Right Bites" Grasshopper Cookies. Only 100 calories per package! They are so good that I have to eat them 2 packs at a time, but that's still only 200 calories! You have GOT to try these jokers!

Reality TV Has Missed It!

2007-11-06T12:27:00.001-05:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of the current strike in Hollywood. TV Writers feel that they aren't being paid enough. The TV market has changed drastically in the last 10 years with the introduction of Reality shows leaving TV writers on the side of the road. We've seen shows about new marriages, finding a spouse, midgets (PC-"Little People"), chefs, clothes designers, singers, dancers...the list literally goes on and on. But there's one group that Hollywood has missed...the most dramatic of them all...THE LOCAL CHURCH!

She, the local church, has it all. Backbiting, jealousy, sex scandles, drugs, and gossip. Bottom line: the church is full of sin! Can you imagine how many people would watch a reality show about the happenings in the local church? Person A is mad at Person B because Person B ordered new artwork for the foyer that isn't Person A's taste. Person A gossips to Persons C and D about Person B. This isn't low-key gossip either. It's "in your face" anger and "I'm leaving the church" harshness.

Another person is mad at the pastor because they disagree with the youth minister's son's friend's mom. It's ridiculous stuff like this that makes people SO mad!

I will stop with the examples because I don't want anyone to think I am writing about any specific church. I'm not. I'm writing about the typical local church in America. Every church has its own drama. Even though I am writing this jokingly, I hope that the local church realizes that all the drama is not honoring to Christ. If your church could be on a reality show, something needs to change. On that note, I digress.

God-Centered Begging

2007-10-31T09:54:00.000-04:00

I was reading in Ezekiel yesterday. Praise God for Ezekiel 36:22-38! Israel had disgraced and profaned God's holy name to all the nations she had interacted with. But GOD cleaned up their mess. GOD would make sure that the nations know that He is the Lord! Even though God's chosen people loved idols, GOD washed them clean. Israel made herself filthy, but GOD gave her a new heart. Israel received incredibly amazing blessing because GOD decided to work. He worked through them for HIS NAME'S SAKE! God's own people had become so evil and disgusting that God should have killed them all. But, for His own name's sake, He rescued them. Without God cleaning up this mess, Israel was doomed. More importantly, God's name would be profaned.

I think this speaks volumes to us today. We are constantly begging God to work in our lives. "God, save me from this debt I have." "God, save my marriage because I can't take it anymore." "God, do this. God, please do that. Do it all for me."

Instead, we should be far more concerned about God's reputation because of these messes in our lives. Our begging should be "God, teach me how to get out of debt so that your name isn't tarnished by my lack of financial self control." "God, I beg you to save my marriage because it is intended to be a picture of your son and the church. We want to share the gospel through our marriage, but our sin is out of control and we need you." "God, please do this according to your will. Do that for your name's sake."

"It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, andyou shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses...you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.

I'm a Vegan.

2007-10-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

No, not really. Do you actually think my husband would let me go vegan? He's such a meat lover. All meat, no veggies. Anyway, I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought "Fantastic World Foods" chicken noodle soup. I got to work today and realized it's a vegan soup with fake chicken in it. (I know the front says vegetarian, but when you open the package, it says "vegan." Surprisingly, it's really good. So, just what is this "chicken" made of? Textured soy flour, soybean oil, evaporated cane juice, and salt. What the heck? I feel so weird for liking this soup, but I recommend it to you. Go Vegans!

2007-06-30T21:52:00.000-04:00

Bojangles is really, really tough. She's probably the toughest basset hound around! Here are some of things she has killed.

First, she tore this monkey's arm off. Then she bit the monkey's tongue off.
Then there's the pig. She tore a hole in its body and well...let's just say that when I came home, all of the "insides" were sprawled out in the backyard. RIP.This mole was resued right as soon as Bojangles tore its lips off. She was going for the stuffing next.Here's a side view.She got into my closet and killed my shoes. And then killed JD's shoes.

Mall Massages

2007-06-25T21:31:00.001-04:00

I have never received a massage from those massage places in the middle of the mall. I have looked on adoringly as others relax in the middle of chaos, but come on. I'm not going to pay $15 for 10 minutes of relaxation!

Today, my husband and I were walking around and saw this adorable Chinese man (we spoke a little Mandarin) with massage chairs set up. My husband said "Go ahead...you know you want to!" Of course I wanted to, but we surely cannot afford this man. I looked at his price chart and it was $12 for 12 minutes. Not bad, not bad. My sweet husband was going to buy me a mall massage! So, I sat down and within moments, the mall melted away. I was literally in a haven of relaxation. I almost drooled several times!

I would never have recommended a mall masseur...until now. Next time you are at the mall, don't just watch others get a massage. Get your own mall massage-you will be hooked.

Billboard

2007-05-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

This is picture of the billboard I designed! If you are looking for the lake, the land, and (dramatic pause) the lifestyle, visit DeFoorRealty.com!

It's hard to see the white in this picture for some reason, but when you're driving by it, it stands out.

I'm Back (And Better Than Evaaaaaa!)

2007-05-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

Since my last post on January 31,

1. Mrs. Bojangles has grown up.
2. I turned 26
3. I had my hair highlighted
4. I designed my first billboard
5. I finished Systematic Theology 2
6. I signed up for 2 summer classes in Louisville
7. I kept up with Facebook and didn't keep up with Blogspot

I fully intend to get back on track with Blogspot, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out pictures of my nephew. Just click on "My Big Brother" in the blog links section.

No Joke

2007-01-08T07:19:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Bojangles just swallowed a small zipper from her dog bed. Unfortunately, I'm not joking.

This Cracks Me Up!

2007-01-08T07:19:00.001-05:00

Wedding Pictures

2007-01-07T23:17:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a year since we got married. I want to share our wedding day with you through pictures (Eric Graf is an incredible photographer! www.EricGraf.com).

First...my dress. I love this dress!

My mom and my Maid-of-Honor (Kristin) are helping me get dressed. My dad and I saw each other before the wedding. It was a very touching time. I had three flowergirls-they were so adorable! I was joined by my best friends (minus a few who couldn't make it). They traveled from New Mexico, Texas, New York and Kentucky! JD had his best friends (minus Jonathan Leeman who couldn't make it) as groomsmen and ushers. Oh, and the good looking one is my little brother. This is a cool picture of Tripp, one of JD's best friends. Tripp was dating Chelsey when we got married. They are now engaged! A great string quartet played. They went right along with Old Kiokee and our historic theme. Old Kiokee was packed! I have no idea what I was saying/doing in this picture, but JD thought it was funny! I started squirming around because I couldn't wait for Grandpa Daniel to introduce us as a married couple! This was taken right after the wedding. Isn't my husband adorable? SO HAPPY! This is my favorite picture from the wedding day. This picture captures JD's love and care for me. Great photography.

2007-01-07T16:34:00.000-05:00

Today is our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! Can you believe it?! We went out last night (since Sundays are crazy for us) and I wanted to see Charlotte's Web. The Olive Garden was so incredibly packed out and we missed the movie. We ended up seeing "The Pursuit of Happyness" and we absolutely loved it! I highly recommend this movie. In fact, you really need to see it. I've compiled a few quotes from Puritans on the topic of marriage:

“The wife was made of the husband’s rib; not of his head, for Paul calleth the husband the wife’s head; not of the foot, for he must not set her at his foot. The servant is appointed to serve, [but] the wife to help. If she must not match with the head, nor stoop at the foot, where shall he set her then? He must set her at his heart, and therefore she which should lie in his bosom was made in his bosom.”

Henry Smith, A Preparitive to Marriage and two other sermons

“It is a mercy to have a faithful friend that loveth you entirely…to whom you may open your mind and communicate your affairs…And it is a mercy to have so near a friend to be a helper to your soul and… to stir up in you the grace of God.” Richard Baxter, Unknown

“There is no society more near, more entire, more needful, more kindly, more delightful, more comfortable, more constant, more continual, than the society of man and wife, the main root, source, and original of all other societies.” Thomas Gataker, unknown

"There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage." Martin Luther

2007-01-05T14:20:00.001-05:00

Which Guitar Player Are You?
John Petrucci You are John Petrucci! You are the lead guitarist for Dream Theater, one of the most underknown and underappreciated bands of the past 15 years. You are a pioneer to progressive rock, and an incredible musical composer. You have one of the widest scale ranges of all guitar players.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Mrs. Bojangles' Walk

2006-12-24T19:48:00.001-05:00

INTRODUCING...

2006-12-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Bojangles!

The mirror is so much fun! Mrs. Bojangles can't figure out how the "other" dog does exactly what she does.

This is our attempt at a family portrait.

Daddy and his little girl. (THEY MATCH!)

"Good Girl! Mrs. Bojangles-I love you!"

I have the CUTEST video of her, but I can't figure out how to post it through YouTube! If anyone knows how to do this with the new google account of blogspot, let me know. Mrs. Bojangles is hopping around like a little frog in this video-it's sooo cute!

Things That Just Don't Go Together

2006-11-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

Foil and a Microwave
Lemonade and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mac-N-Cheese and Pineapples
Alf and Rush Limbaugh
Grape Juice and Toothpaste
Dramomine and Dr. Pepper
Candy Corn and...Everything. It's just nasty all by itself.
Plastic Forks and Pork Chops
Point of Grace and K-Fed
Coffee and Sweet Tarts
Georgia Tech and Reggie Ball

(This the part 2 of the list on my old blog)
http://nikkitatom.blogspot.com/2005/12/things-that-just-dont-go-together.html#comments

What else?

Tootie

2006-11-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both and there you have the facts of life, the facts of life! There's a time you gotta go and show you're growin'-now you know about the facts of life, the facts of life!

My husband and I were watching some TV show about child stars who are all grown up (and most of them messed up). I recognized about half of the adults from their childhood roles. My husband also recogized some of them. A woman came on the screen and she looked semi-familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on who she was. Well, about 2 seconds after she came up on the screen, my husband says (loudly): "HEY! That's TOOTIE from The Facts of Life!" He was so excited about it! I watched that show faithfully when I was little (it might have been re-runs. I'm not sure), but I still didn't recognize Tootie. JD told me that he absolutely loved that show growing up because he thought it was so funny! Just when you think you know someone...

New Life!

2006-11-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

I have changed my blog! What do you think? Any suggestions on how to make it better? I still need to update my links (some of the blogs I linked to don't exist anymore!) and a few other things.

November 10, 1483

2006-11-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

Happy 523rd Birthday, Martin Luther!

Interpret My Dreams!

2006-11-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

Call me crazy, but I dreamed that I was a contestant on Supermarket Sweep. I haven't seen that show in probably 12 years. I ran around getting the heaviest groceries I could find. At the very end of the show, they were adding up the cost of the items I had in my cart. I started freaking out because (for some reason) I thought the contest was to have the most weight, not the most cost. I know that the the contest is for the most cost in real life, but in my dream I had no idea!

That dream was a few nights ago. Last night I had a dream that I was being chased by ferocious wasps. They flew in a perfect sphere and they flew really really fast. It was SO scary! I didn't get stung, thankfully.

Dreams are so weird. Anyone have any interpretations for these dreams?

HELP US NAME OUR LITTLE GIRL!

2006-11-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

Our family is expanding.

After 10 months of marriage, we have made a decision to get an adorable Bassett Hound puppy! This picture is not an actual picture of ours, but it's the closet I could find online! We should be getting pictures by this weekend, so I will replace it.

As excited as we are to have our little baby, we have a major problem on our hands. I picked out a male dog name while JD and I were engaged: Bojangles. Now that we are getting a girl, I can't think of a fun name for her! HELP!

My Husband: SBTS Superstar

2006-10-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

I got the sudden urge to check out SBTS's website today after lunch. To my surprise, the site had been updated with a new format and new images. I began to click on various links when BAM! I am greeted with a picture of the sweetest guy I've ever met! Vintage picture, I must say. It was taken 6-7 years ago when he worked in the campus bookstore. Click here to see a vintage pic of my hubby. He's the one holding the bag. What can I say? SBTS holds on to the good ones. My husband is an SBTS superstar.

Complete the Thought

2006-09-28T22:18:00.002-04:00

Complete the Thought (thanks, Bobby):

Never again in my life: will I eat blood sausage

When I was five: I loved sleeping with the humidifier on.

High School was: such a blast! I loved it!

I will never forget: when Carrie and I dressed up as princesses for our rugby awards ceremony in college. Obviously we were the only ones dressed so girly.

I once met: Harvey Brown

There’s this girl I know who: introduced me to turkey bacon. MMMMM!

By noon I’m usually: awake. Finally. It takes me awhile to officially wake up even though I start work at 8:00.

Last night I: cooked these nasty, hard, crunchy chicken strips. They were supposed to be good, tender, crunchy chicken strips. Then went to a women's study and ate popcorn, pretzels, and other yummy treats.

Next time I go to church: will be Sunday.

What worries me most is: me.

When I turn my head right, I see: my guitars, dirty flip-flops, and my bookcase.

When I turn my head left, I see: Scrabble, Scattergories, Cranium, and a Brita Water Filter.

You know I’m lying when: I cross my legs and shake my top foot vigorously. And I usually tell on myself. I'm not good at playing games where you have to keep your cards a secret. I get way too excited (if it looks good) or bummed out (if I am going to lose).

If I was a character written by Shakespeare I'd: want to wear one of those really tall cone hats with sparkles and material coming out of the top.

By this time, next year: I will hopefully weigh less and be able to tear up the mandolin!

A better name for me would be: Winnie Cooper. I loved her!

I have a hard time understanding: why my husband thinks Settlers of Catan is boring.

If I ever go back to school I’ll: learn more about visual arts. Painting, photography, graphic design, etc.

You know I like you if: I ask you a lot of questions.

Three people who bore me are: Dr. Mohler, Patty Griffin, and Leslie Follmar. JUST KIDDING!! Hm...who bores me? This is a hard question. I have been thinking about it for way too long. K-Fed, Bill Clinton, and Paul Harvey.

Take my advice, NEVER: blow on a small kitchen fire.

My ideal breakfast is: mixed with salty and sweet! toast, turkey bacon, fresh fruit, and maybe a breakfast burrito.

A song I love, but do not have is: L-is for the way you LOOK at me! O-is for the only onnnnnne I see! V-is very, very extraordinary, E-is even more than anyone that you adore!

If you visit my hometown, I suggest: visiting my grandparents. My dad's mom makes amazing goo-losh and chocolate pie and my mom's mom cooks the best Mexican food ever!

Why won’t anyone: bring me smoothies at my request?

If you spend the night at my house, DO: eat whatever I cook.

The world could do without: Paris Hilton being famous, pecans, uni-brows, and insects.

I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: have one big nose hole instead of two nostrils.

My favorite blonde is: Laura Roberts. And Jenna Rivera.

Paperclips are more useful than: chia pets.

San Diego means: Without Two Egos

"I am the American Dream"

2006-08-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

Hollywood has a very direct way of communicating their true feelings.

Britney Spears says, "I am the American Dream."

Sean Combs argues that he, in fact, is the American Dream.

Paris Hilton believes that every man around her wants to sleep with her.

And finally, the most offensive. Madonna's shirt needs to explanation.

"I tell you what a tragedy is. I'll read to you from Reader's Digest (Feb. 2002, p. 98) what a tragedy is: "Bob and Penny... took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells." The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be "I collected shells. See my shells." THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don't buy it." John Piper Boasting Only in the Cross

Wal-Mart Surprise

2006-07-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

I was walking out of Wal-Mart (best prices on groceries, people!) a couple days ago and I noticed some kids swarming around my car. I started to wonder what the deal was: maybe a bird pooped on my car and they couldn't believe how incredibly colorful that stuff can be. Maybe I had something unusual in my back seat...I started to get nervous wondering about some "married stuff" that I buy. Or maybe, just maybe one of them rammed their door into my car.

A soccer mom rushed around her mini van and angrily (but quietly) said "let's GO!" through her teeth. The two boys quickly walked off, but a little girl (around 7 years old) wouldn't budge. As I got closer, I could see the look on her face. She was so upset! Her mom grabbed her arm and started dragging her away. The mom wouldn't make eye contact with me. When I finally reached my car, the little girl said "ma'am?" Her mom pulled her by her arm even harder and still wouldn't look at me. The little girl wouldn't look away from me and tried to break free from her mom. Again, she said "ma'am?"

"Ma'am, I am so sorry, but I opened the car door and banged it into your car...I'm so sorry..." The mom finally looked at me for the first time. I said "well, is there any damage?" The little girl rushed over to the passenger's side and said "yes-look at this long scratch!" The mom didn't come over-she stood in the middle of the parking lot stonefaced.

I looked at the long scratch that she was pointing to. It came from my attempt to back out of crowded driveway about 1 1/2 years ago. I backed into some tough bushes. I said "oh, that's okay! I think that was already there." The little girl didn't look convinced but when away with her mom.

Oh, I pray that I would have the soft heart of this little girl instead of the hardened heart of her mom. Sin makes our hearts so hard. It's so easy to think "if I can escape the consequence of paying for my mistakes, everything will be better." This mom was probably thinking "I don't have the money to pay for this damage-let's just get out of here before she notices!" This is also my tendency: to run from my mistakes and hope nobody will bring it up. I learned a valuable lesson from this little girl. Confessing my mistakes and dealing with consequences is far better than running away into hiding.

Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge. But he who hates reproof is stupid."

Sit and Be Fit (Watch 1st)

2006-07-15T08:05:00.000-04:00

Sit and Be Fit

Sit and Be Fit: Regular Style
(You may want to pause the video for about 30 seconds to let it load.)

This is intense!

Sit and Be Fit with Rev Alecia!

2006-07-15T07:38:00.000-04:00

Reverend Alecia

Sit and Be Fit: Worship Version

A Really Funny Day

2006-05-25T09:22:00.000-04:00

I laughed a LOT yesterday. Here are some highlights of my day:

1. While babysitting a 3-year-old boy, he snuck up to the knee-rips in my jeans (I wasn't trying to be cool-they are my favorite jeans and they are wearing out on me) and said "why is your jeans broken?"

2. The same little boy was putting a pool ball triangle rack over his head and moving it down his body to his feet. He wanted me to try it, but it wouldn't fit over my buff shoulders. I kept saying "It won't fit. See? It won't fit." He would look annoyed and say "Let me show you." He would do it again and hand it to me. This went on several times and he quietly asked himself "how did I do that?" while getting it over his tiny shoulders. Finally he gave up and climbed in the refrigerator.

3. Last night I crawled into bed and my husband was already asleep. He randomly started mumbling. This was our conversation:
JD: What did they say?
Nikki: Huh?
JD: What did they say?
Nikki: What did who say? (I started laughing out loud at this point. He had obviously been dreaming.)
JD: The people.
Nikki: What people?
JD: The people at the thing!
Nikki: (Laughing hysterically)
JD: I gotta use the bathroom.

Who Is Your Favorite 80's-90's TV Character?

2006-05-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

You can select multiple characters by holding Ctrl

WHAT?!

2006-05-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

As ya'll know, I am really trying to be a good wife. One of the things I really want to learn to do is cook. It's fun (if it turns out good) and an exciting challenge. Here is a photo post about the last few weeks.

Check out these pictures. I turned this nasty looking raw chicken:

into this delicious meal:

And trust me. The intestines (and other nasty inside stuff) were NOT in a bag. We had to fish them out with our bare hands!

The next night, however, wasn't so delicious. I tried to make this chicken broccoli casserole. I added some of my own toppings (bacon and cheese) and...well...this is what it looked like:

It pretty much tasted how it looked. Once it got on our plates, it seemed to taste even worse!

LADIES!! ALWAYS HAVE A FROZEN PIZZA ON HAND!!! After my first bite (my husband wasn't brave enough to try it after he smelled it), I immediately put the pizza in the oven.

Oh, and we got some indoor plants. I've been trying to keep up with them! How do they look?

25 Years of Existence

2006-05-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

I know I have dropped the blogger ball, but I'm back to tell you that as of today, May 6, I am 25 years old!!

Since a lot of you don't know me very well, I thought I would share some interesting facts about myself.

1. I absolutely hate bugs, insects, and spiders.
2. I'm 5'0 and 1/2 inch tall.
3. I love alfredo sauce.
4. I went through a stage in high school and bleached two big streaks of my hair blonde.
5. I recently bought my first mandolin.
6. Sometimes I make funny faces at myself in the mirror.
7. I have pretended to be an American Idol contestant in the shower.
8. I enjoy doing laundry.
9. I was a very shy kid until elementary school.
10. My mom had to pick me up from kindergarten for putting entire rolls of toilet paper down all of the toilets and flushing them down.
11. I love the game "Settlers of Catan."
12. Sometimes I pick on my husband just to see how long it takes for him to get annoyed.
13. When I first wake up in the morning I usually run into things.
14. I am generally a clumsy person.
15. I got so nervous that I almost threw up before my wedding (seriously).
16. I am scared of throwing up.
17. I loved high school.
18. My high school mascots were the Cavemen and Cavegirls.
19. One of my favorites place at SBTS was the mailboxes after chapel.
20. I got my undergrad in advertising.

Do you know any other interesting facts about my last 25 years of existence??

BeatBoxing

2006-04-10T13:37:00.000-04:00

Why do guys like to beatbox? My husband was doing it this morning and he didn't know I was listening. It was SO funny! Who knew that beatboxing was so cool? There's a beatboxing magazine, a girl beatboxer, and (my favorite) a how-to website! I love the look on the guy's face.

Don't Date Him!

2006-04-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Men, have you ever cheated on someone? Watch out! DontDateHimGirl.com is a controversial website that reveals cheaters. I saw a report on Fox News about this site and found it humerous at first. However, the more I thought about it, the more controversial it became. Should people be allowed to know if someone has cheated before they date them? It does only seem fair, right? If you've cheated, some girls won't want anything to do with you. Now that I am only a dating observer, I have a different viewpoint on things like this. I have many amazing single friends who I am constantly trying to set up with good guys. If a guy was on this site, I would say "NO WAY!"

But what about forgiveness? What if a girl was really mad because her boyfriend broke up with her and made up a story for this site?

I dunno. I have mixed feelings about this, but it's entertaining nonetheless! Visit the site and tell me what you think. Hopefully you won't find yourself on there...

Ya'll Come On In!

2006-03-31T10:17:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun to show you my two favorite parts of our house. First is our very sleek and modern couch. My husband is so great. He had our kitchen painted red before he even met me! Red is my favorite color and our kitchen it one of the coolest I've seen! We need to change out the cabinet knobs since we are doing a brushed chrome theme.
Okay, okay. I know you are dying to see at least one more room. Well, maybe not. But I really love the bathroom in our bedroom. The walls are chocolate brown and everything else is light blue and white.We still have a LOT to do concerning decorating, but we are off to a good start. Being married is so much fun!

Mary Winkler

2006-03-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my husband I've become a FoxNews.com junkie. Thanks to FoxNew.com, I am on pins and needles about this Mary Winkler case. FoxNews will be in the courtroom today with Mary Winkler-I can't wait to see what is said. Stay tuned to FoxNews or FoxNews.com to see what happens.

Is anyone else out there following this story? I would love to know your thoughts on the case. To be honest, I am flipping out.

Also, I completely agree with Kimberly Guilfoyle about the Debra Lafave case.

Irresistible Grace and Joy

2006-03-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of witnessing two baptisms this morning. A married couple shared their testimonies with the entire church body and then were baptized. Oh, how great is our God! Watching as each person was immersed into the water and raised brought praise from the lips of the church. As the lady shared how God called her, she said "I couldn't resist His love!" Praise the Lord that once He calls someone, He is irresistible. Observing baptisms reminds me of God's goodness in pulling people from the pit. (Thank you, God, for pulling me from the pit of death!) Do we really recognize that without Christ we are in the deep, deep pit of darkness?

I am reminded of the reality of death. Do we realize that God sustains our very lives? If our bodies fail to take in air, we will die. If our hearts refuse to pump blood throughout our bodies, we will die. If we do not drink water and eat food, we will die. How fragile life is! We can do nothing to save ourselves-God sustains every breath, heart beat, and yes, even our very lives.

In Isaiah 51: 6, God says to Israel:

Lift up your eyes to the sky,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the sky will vanish like smoke,
And the earth will wear out like a garment
And its inhabitants will die in like manner;
But my salvation will be forever
And My righteousness will not wane.

I am not attempting to discourage you! Instead, I want to encourage you to realize both the importance and joy of following Christ. Our bodies will fail, but salvation through Christ will never fail. Don't delay. Follow hard after Christ. With His irrestistible grace comes irrestistible joy.

Ultra-Low-Rise Microwaved Eggs

2006-03-21T19:19:00.000-05:00

Hark! The end of the ultra-low-rise era nears. Praise the Lord. I've been waiting for this day for a looong time.

Also, D asked (in the comments section of the last post) if JD can cook. Well, what can I say? He can scramble eggs...in the microwave. No, seriously, he does that. I had never heard of such a thing, but JD somehow figured out that you can actually scramble eggs in the microwave. I checked online to see if this was safe and here's what I found: Click Here To See What I Found. The only difference is that JD doesn't use milk. He just puts the egg in the microwave. I still think it's kind-of weird myself.

Lesson 4: Expect Cooking Fiascos

2006-03-20T11:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is with me and the kitchen-I think kitchens hate wives. I have had another cooking fiasco. I was trying to make this yummy homemade barbeque sauce (from Laura) that I had made 3 times before. I practically had the recipe memorized! I was attempting to make 1 1/2 times the recipe. Something went terribly wrong and the sauce tasted like pure onion juice. So, after many attempts to salvage it, I threw it out and started over.

I cleaned the nasty onion sauce off of the mixing blades before mixing the new concoction. I held the mixer in my right hand and tried to push one of the metal blades in with my left hand. I didn't realize that the mixer was still plugged in. Sure enough, I managed to switch the mixer to "on" and my pinky got stuck in the mixer!!! It hurt SO BAD!! My face grew sooo hot and I was speechless. My pinky didn't fall off by God's grace. I thought surely when I looked down I would see only half of my pinky. My pinky just got a bruise on the knuckle.

The second batch of sauce was much better (I just doubled the entire recipe), but somehow the barbeque sauce dripped all over the lemon bars I was letting cool.

The People Have Spoken

2006-03-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Mark Dever it is, folks!

Dever received 30% of the vote for SBC President. Voddie Baucham can be the Vice President, I guess. He received 18% of the vote.

You can all breath a sigh of relief. I am now stepping down from my SBC President soapbox.

Let's talk about the strangest store in all of Augusta. It's called "Celebrity Video Tanning and Deli." I have not gone to this store. However, if I ever want to rent a video, get a tan, and get lunch and only have 30 minutes, I will consider it.

Mark Dever for President?

2006-03-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

SBC President, that is. Currently Mark Dever is blowing away the competition on the SBC President poll. This week is the "last call" for votes. The poll is a few posts down-scroll down and vote! Not that my poll means anything, but I am curious to see who the people want.

*All drawings by Brown Hudson

Lesson 3: Newspapers and Glass

2006-03-04T23:36:00.000-05:00

I learned a new lesson today. After cleaning windows with Windex and paper towels, use newpaper to get rid of any left-over streaks. Who knew?!?

I don't know any "home remedies" or "home tricks" for stuff-this is the first. I know there are a ton. If you know any, please share!!

Awkward

2006-03-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

This is awkward: AWKWARD

Tom Nettles for SBC President

2006-02-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

I vote for Tom Nettles for the next SBC President. Here's why:

1. To m Nettles looks like Bob Dylan.
2. Tom Nettles almost beat Pedro in the Class President Poll (and would have won if Kristin didn't accidently vote for Tammy Faye).
3. Tom Nettles can sing "Trouble in River City" in its entirety.
4. Tom Nettles is one of the most patient people I've ever met.
5. Tom Nettles is a genius.

Lesson 2: Don't Blow on Fires

2006-02-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

It was a hectic Friday night. I rushed to prepare chili for my husband about 30 minutes before I was supposed to be at a friend's house. A paper towel served as my spoon rest. Just as I began draining the meat, the paper towel ever-so-gently touched the back burner. In a moment's time flames began to overtake the ENTIRE KITCHEN!! Okay, not really the entire kitchen. The paper towel did catch on fire, though. It started as an insignificant baby fire. I began to blow on the fire (not the best reaction) and between breaths I yelled for JD to come put the fire out. The fire grew with each puff of air. By the time JD ran into the kitchen, the fire was fairly significant. His first reaction was to throw the burning material onto the floor and beat it down. His reaction worked.

Lesson 2: Don't blow on fires.

Believe it or not, this is not the first kitchen fire I've seen. (If you were at my Louisville bridal shower, you know what I'm talking about).

An Open Letter to Men

2006-02-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Men,
If you are a husband, boyfriend, or friend of a woman, I have something to say. Tell your wife, girlfriend, or friend that she is beautiful. I don't mean compliments like "your hair looks amazing today" or "you look hot today." These are nice, don't get me wrong. I love when my husband compliments my outer appearance. However, according to Paul's first letter to Timothy, beauty is much more than this. Does your wife's patience with your children teach you more about Christ's character? Tell her. Does your girlfriend's consistent time studying the Scriptures encourage you? Tell her. Does your friend have a beautiful way of praying for others? Tell her. These are only a few marks of true beauty. When you see beautiful, God-honoring inner qualities in your wife, girlfriend, or friend, compliment her on these things. She will know exactly what you consider to be beautiful simply by the qualities in which you chose to compliment.

In Christ's Love,
Nikki Leigh Daniel

(I can't take credit for this idea. My hot husband preached a sermon on 1 Timothy 3 a couple of weeks ago and encouraged men to do this. It encouraged me as a woman. I want to compliment true beauty in people too-not just "hey-I love that new shirt" but "hey-your prayer this morning really encouraged me. And I like your new shirt!")

Mmm...It Smells...

2006-01-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

"Mmm...It smells..."

These were my husbands first words as he entered the house this afternoon. I was making stew in the crock pot and it had to cook for 6-8 hours, so I was letting it simmer all day. He opened the door and said "mmm." I thought "Oh, this is great! He's going to love my stew!" The "mmm" was followed with "it smells..." (long pause). Again, I thought "this is really good-he is about to say that my stew smells delicious!" However, the long pause never ended. His statement was "mmm...it smells..."

After church tonight I lifted the lid and took a wiff myself. He was right. It smelled. Not good, it just...smelled. So, we ate at a local Mexican place instead.

Add A Caption (#1)!

2006-01-26T08:41:00.000-05:00

This makes me want to have kids. Let's do this contest for the first time on Covenant Woman! Who can come up with the best caption for this picture? The winner gets...pure enjoyment!

Lesson 1: Sorting Through the Mess

2006-01-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've learned a new marriage lesson.

Always sort through ALL products that your husband has stored up through his bachelor years. When I first sorted through JD's refrigerator, I was terrified. Some food was 2-3 years overdue. I found a package of shredded cheddar cheese that was so moldly that it was only identifiable by the words on the package. Rotten milk, year-expired salsa, and gag-me mustard.

I thought I was done with this disgusting duty. I thought that usually refrigerated foods are the only foods that go bad. About a week and a half of being married I began looking through the food in the pantry. Never in my life have I seen Saltine Crackers a year passed their expiration date. Never, that is, until I looked in our pantry.

Has anyone ever seen expired toothpaste? I have. Yes, it's true folks. I have actually seen numerous tubes of toothpaste OVER A YEAR after they've expired.

Taco shells, medicines, and cleaning...all long overdue.

One lesson learned. Many still to come.

Which Is It?

2006-01-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

I've been told by a ton of people that the first year of marriage is super hard and when they look back on their years as a married couple, it was the worst year of their marriage. Others say that it's the honeymoon stage and both parties are so unrealistic that they overlook important wrongs. So, what am I supposed to expect? Which is it? Horrible or heavenly?

Bob Barker

2006-01-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

As I drove out of Louisville, Patty Griffin's "Long Ride Home" filled my car. I honestly didn't even plan that. It was straight out of the movie Elizabethtown. I drove down to Dallas, TX to spend the holidays with family. After 10 days, I drove to my new home: Augusta, Georgia.

With this new home came something better. Something that I've dreamed of since I was seven years old. (Picture Bob Barker standing on the set of The Price is Right with his skinny microphone). On January 7, I received...A BRAAAAND NEEEWWW....HUSBAND! That's right, folks. This husband's name is JD (although some call him Bert). He is a studly pastor with amazing leadership qualities. Seriously, I married the most incredible man of God. I tell him often that he's the best husband in the entire world and I truly believe that.

I will learn lessons in marriage and experience fun adventures. As we seek to honor Christ as husband and wife, I will write about these lessons and adventures. After all, I am JD's...BRAND NEEEWWWW...Covenant Woman!

Who Gets Your Vote for SBC President?
	Tom Nettles
	Voddie Baucham
	Johnny Hunt
	Beth Moore
	Paul Pressler
	Albert Mohler
	Mark Dever
	Russell Moore
	Jerry Rankin
	Jerry Vines

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