Life Hacks #3

I am back with a few more life hacks today. Be sure to share any of your hacks--little tricks to make life easier--below!

Homemade stain remover.  So turns out babies are messy and stain everything!  After reading about a simple homemade stain remover on Pinterest I had to try it.  I am happy to report great results! It even took stains out of clothes that had already been washed before!  You mix 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 1 part baking soda, and 1 part Dawn dish soap.  Mix well.  Apply to stain and scrub.  Let sit for one hour. (Letting it sit is important!) Wash clothes as usual.

  

I mixed mine 1/2C peroxide and 1/4C Dawn and baking soda. I keep it in a plastic container and use a tooth brush to apply and scrub.  Cheap, easy, works great!

Homemade animal fly spray.  I learned this recipe years ago from my friend Sarah. We first used it on pigs and I now use it for our dogs.  You just need a plastic spray bottle.  Fill 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar and squirt in some Dawn dish soap. (Dawn should be sponsoring this post!) Again, cheap, easy, works well and no chemicals.

Re-using gift bags & tissue paper. I am a gift bag recycler. I have a big plastic storage tub full of gift bags and tissue paper. It seems silly to just throw them away!  I had always done this and had a small stash but I really hit the jackpot with the bags from wedding and baby showers.  I seriously may never have to buy wrapping again!  It is amazing the  money you save.

Free undies. If you are a fan of Victoria's Secret, you know their underwear is expensive. There are two things to know here. First, at their semi-annual sales, they have bins of undies on sale for a fraction of the price if you take the time to sort through the unorganized mess.  Second, if you have their credit card (free, no fees) they mail you a coupon about once a month for a free pair of undies.  Now, you only get whatever style is featured, but free is free and if you use every coupon you can really add to your wardrobe!

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #29: Apple Crumble

Last week I came across this recipe on A Blog for my Mom and thought it sounded good. When Honeycrisp apples were half off at the store, I took that as a sign and decided to give it a whirl.  It was yummy and easy...two important recipe qualifications!

The Boy from Texas Rating: 4

The Boy from Texas Comments:  He didn't make any comments but snuck in and polished this off the next afternoon.  I figure he liked it.

Apple Crumble

**This made two pies for me. I recommend you make this as a pie rather than a stand-alone.  I like the frozen pie crusts.**

2 pie crusts

Filling:

6-8 apples, peeled & sliced 

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Crumble:

3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, toss apple slices with 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Spread over pie crust.

Cut butter into small pieces and pulse with flour and sugar in food processor until crumbly. Spread over top of apples.

Bake for 40 minutes, let cool for 10.

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #28: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

The arrival of BB has greatly decreased the amount of time and energy I have in the kitchen.  So in my attempt to track down easy recipes, I came across this crock pot recipe that turned out excellent!

The Boy from Texas rating: 4

The Boy from Texas comments:  Pretty good for chicken.

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

*Serves 6*

2 pounds chicken, thawed

1 box (6 oz) stuffing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 C sour cream

1/3 C water

Bag of frozen green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place chicken in crock pot and season with salt and pepper.

Cover chicken with stuffing mix.

In medium bowl, mix soup, sour cream, and water.  Spread over stuffing mix.

Place green beans on top.

Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. 

When cooked I stirred it all together to mix it and to break chicken breasts into small pieces.

I failed to get a picture.  Here is one of my kid instead.

I am the girl on the sidewalk...

I had a lot of fun at Oklahoma State. In college (and after on trips back to town), I was the girl in the bar.  I drank a lot of limees. Broke the juke box dancing. Kick lined at 1:30 am to New York, New York. I am fairly sure the bar tab from my group of friends paid for the patio that now exists at the Penny.

Today, I am the girl on the sidewalk. The one with her husband and child excited to point out Pistol Pete to an excited little boy wearing orange. The one who has talked to her girlfriends for years about bringing their kids to homecoming walk around. 

Yesterday, an intoxicated girl plowed her car into a sidewalk of homecoming parade watchers in the middle of the morning.  On a sidewalk I have walked myself hundreds of times.  Chaos ensued, lives were lost. Mothers, fathers, children collecting candy. Four were killed, forty more injured. 

To those of you still in the bar, live it up. Have fun. Make memories. Stumble home singing The Panhandlers off key. 

But don't you dare bring your crap onto my sidewalk. 

Please, please pray for everyone involved in this senseless tragedy. 

One Year. What We've Learned

One year ago this weekend I donned a white dress, he sported a new cowboy hat, and we vowed to love each other for the rest of our lives. 

It has been an adventure, the last 365 days. So in looking back on our first year together, I thought it would be good to reflect on what we have learned about love and marriage and what not. Begrudgingly, The Boy from Texas pitched in a few thoughts as well. 

1. Divorce is not an option.  No matter how bad the fight or how annoying the habit, we never threaten to leave. We don't joke about it. We don't consider it.  Because once it is an option, even in the back of your mind, it is an option. And that is a major problem. 

2. Be flexible.  Some things will not go as planned. Heck, almost nothing will go as planned.  Case in point...we thought that we might be pregnant by our first anniversary. Instead, we have a 6 week old.  Flexibility is important. 

2a.  It does not take everyone a year to get pregnant. Refer to item #2.  The fact that you are 30 and have old eggs apparently does not always change lesson #2.  

3.  Know how best to communicate, generally and on specific topics.  Knowing the best way to discuss things is critical.  Example: We cannot discuss money over text message without someone ending up mad. If we have those conversations in person or on the phone we are good.  Learn how to (and how not to) communicate with each other.

4. Our marriage not all hearts and roses. And no one else's is either. I am working on a complete blog post on this topic because I think it's that important. Society doesn't do us any favors by acting like other marriages are perfect all the time. They aren't. The sooner people figure that out the better. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the time for us it really is roses, but there are those days where a thorn gets thrown into that in the mix. Understanding that this is normal and will happen is important.

5. Simple phrases go a long way.  Don't underestimate the effectiveness of using "Thank you," "I'm sorry," and "I love you."  Use them more than you think necessary.

6. Talk about what bothers you or you don't get anywhere.   The Boy from Texas included this one. In doing so he said, "No one is a mind reader. Write that. Do you hear me? That needs to be in the blog. Write that down."  Enough said.

7.  And now, the best for last. We are so much better together than either could be apart. And we try to always remember that and be grateful for it every day.

One year down...a lifetime to go. 

When Your Vocation Seems Mundane

"Sometimes she must leave God at the alter to find Him in her housekeeping." -St. Frances of Rome

"It is necessary that the heroic becomes daily and the daily becomes heroic." -St. John Paul II

"...vocation is played out not just in extraordinary acts--the great things we will do for the Lord, the great success we envision in our careers someday--but in the realm of the ordinary. Whatever we face in the often humdrum present--washing the dishes, buying groceries, going to work, driving the kids somewhere, hanging out with our friends--this is the realm into which we have been called and in which our faith bears fruit in love." - Gene Edward Veith, Jr. (via my friend April)

Last night while I was up feeding BB at 2 in the morning, he spit up. It ran down my back. And I thought "Well, at least it's not poop on me this time."

Immediately I wondered,  "What happened to my life?"

 I used to live in an apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay.  Not so long ago I sipped lattes in Venice. I spent my days working on multi-million dollar lawsuits. I had a near death experience on a white water rafting (actually in a river after falling out of said raft) in Costa Rica. I wore cute heels and rode a trolley to work and won half marathon medals.  

And now, I celebrate puke on my pjs?

And in that moment I was reminded that sometimes, our vocation seems mundane. Sometimes God calls us to holiness by having us wash dishes and do 2 am feedings and burp the baby for the 157th time today. Sometimes we serve His kingdom and find our purpose in washing the never ending piles of laundry and making dinner again and paying the household bills.  

It is not sexy work.  Most of the time it is a thankless job. But it matters. It matters to my little family and to the world and to God.  

It's easy to forget that serving Him doesn't always look like a mission field in Africa or leading worship on the stage or driving around the country in your car sharing the good news. For some people, it does, and I am grateful for their calling. 

But for some of us, it looks like puke running down the back of our shirt at 2 am. Thanks be to God for that.

May we serve Him well. 

20 Questions

College Roomie posted these questions on her blog last week, and I had some free time (2 am feeding, anyone?) so I thought I would play along. 

20 Questions 

1. Favorite food
Fajitas. Chocolate chip cookie dough. Fettuccini Alfredo. 

2. Flip Flops or High Heels
Heels. I love a good pair of cute shoes. 

3. Favorite place to shop for yourself 

I am not much of a shopper. Target maybe?

4. Standard coffee order
I don't drink coffee. Seriously, never. Strange, I know. 

5. Road trip must have snack
Sweet Tarts. The old school ones you buy in the roll. 

6. DIY or Hire it out
DIY. And the "y" is really my husband rather than myself. 

7. Top 5 TV shows
I am taking thia to mean my favorite shows of all time.  Friends. ER. The Amazing Race. Friday Nighy Lights. Alf. (Don't judge me.)

8. Favorite Book
Hmmm....  The Help.  Traveling Light. Love Does.

9. Favorite form of exercise
Running.  But I also really enjoyed the spin class I took when I lived in Abluquerque. 

10. How tall are you
5 foot 3.5 inches 

11. Do you try something new at a restaurant or stick to favorites
I usually stick to favorites.  I don't care for change. 

12. One make up item you can’t live without
I don't wear make up. Like at all. Ever. The last two times I had it on?  My maternity photos and my wedding. 

13. What’s on your nightstand
Jewelry box, books I am reading, burp cloth, binky, phone charger.

14. What’s one thing that motherhood has taught you
Where the crap do I even start? Probably that I am capable of more than I think. About three days into this I was sure I couldn't do it, this baby was doomed, we might not all survive until the next day. And now, a month in, we are all still here. God gives us the strength we need when we need it. That's got to be the explanation. 

15. Music that reminds you of high school
That song "do you want to ride in the back seat of a caddy." Richard had a caddy and I bet we listened to that song a million times. 

16. If you could live anywhere in the world besides your current city, where would you live?

The older I get, the more I am drawn to home. Or San Francisco. Polar opposite answers, I know. 

17. Tell us something we might not know
I was the homecoming queen in high school. That one usually shocks people. 

18. Website you read/browse besides blogs
Facebook. Instagram. 

19. Morning person or night owl
Neither. That's bad, huh? I must be a middle of the day person.

20. What’s your best freature?

I think I am pretty funny. 

BB's Newborn Photo Shoot

As she did at our wedding and with our maternity pictuers, Super Mom absolutely nailed BB's newborn photos.  A lot of photographers will not even shoot newborns because they are super difficult to work with (and deal with in general...), but Super Mom was amazing.  Probably helps she's dealt with one of these little babies four times of her own.  We cannot thank her enough for doing such a great job of capturing our little guy!

BB's Birth Story

I hesitated to do a birth story blog.  For years I've cringed at the thought of reading anything another person writes that contains words like cervix or dilated or birth canal.  But, ya know, this blog is where I happen to chronicle my life and store my memories, so leaving out such a momentous event didn't seem right either.

In light of that, I've decided to do some sort of a compromise.  I will be writing a birth story.  But I won't be writing a graphically detailed, gory version and promise not to use the word cervix.  I've decided the best approach is to tell the story as I've heard The Boy from Texas tell it to other people.  He is super private and I figure if he feels comfortable including it when he tells the story, it's probably safe to share.

Final belly photo headed into the hospital.

Background

At about 36 weeks I started having contractions and beginning to dilate.  At that time, the doctor told us that he thought we could be having a baby "any day now" and that he didn't think we would make our due date, which was great because we would not have to discuss things like induction.  With that info, we hurried around and got our hospital bag packed, carseat ready to go, and waited on a baby.  Well....said baby decided to prove the doctor wrong.  (My dad swears that all doctors tell all women at 36 weeks there will be a baby any day just so they don't jump out a window thinking they have a month of pregnancy left.  Maybe he's right.)

At our last scheduled appointment, which happened the day before BB was due, the ultrasound tech spotted something concerning on the ultrasound that she brought to the doctor's attention.  In light of this, the doctor told us that we needed to go ahead and plan on having a baby the next day and that we should induce.  So, there was the plan.

After a lovely dinner with one of The Boy From Texas' co-workers, we headed home to get some sleep before heading to the hospital at 6:00 am.

The Day Of

Once we arrived, they got me checked in and gave me Pitocin at about 8:00.  They asked if I wanted an epidural and my answer was that I thought I'd wait and see.  I didn't like the idea of not being able to get up and walk around, but turned out, because they induced me I couldn't get up and walk around anyway.  So in light of that, after about an hour and a half of pretty serious contractions, I decided an epidural was a good idea.  It just didn't make sense to me to spend all day in pain when there was medicine to help with that.  So the epidural man came in and took care of me....and I wanted to kiss him.  I could still feel a little pain, but nothing too bad.

So from there, we basically hung out for the rest of the day and just waited.  About 1:00 they came in and said I was progressing nicely and we would probably have a baby by 4:00.  (Perhaps something else they tell every poor woman...)

At 4:00, they said we'd wait another couple of hours.  At 6:30 they came in, I was ready to go, and we decided to start pushing.  The nurse told me she thought I'd probably just need to push about 30 minutes and we'd have a baby. The kickoff for Monday Night Football was on, Patriots v. Steelers.  We started pushing about the time kickoff happened.

The Delivery

Well, after pushing for 4 hours, still no baby.  My favorite part of this time was during the midst of this, the nurse says, "Who in the family has red hair?"  Well, there is red on both sides of the family, so we knew there was a chance of a red-headed boy.  It was hilarious that before he was even born, that red hair was a topic of conversation.

The Boy from Texas was a champ. He held my leg in the air for hours, held my hand, handed me barf bags, was right in the middle of it all.

4 hours into this, I was exhausted.  I had been vomiting all day.  I was starving.  I was on oxygen having a hard time breathing.  The baby was beginning to show signs of distress.  The doctor came in an said that we were in a situation where we needed to do something different.  I was out of energy and the baby was starting to have trouble.  He very calmly explained we had three options:  forcepts, vaacum, or c-section.  The Boy from Texas sort of took over at this point and asked what the doctor thought we should do.  He said he really thought he could have the baby out with forcepts in 2 pushes.  Decision made.

At this point, people started running into our room.  All day it had pretty much just been us and the nurses and a couple of nursing students who were hoping to see their first delivery.  Suddenly, the room was full of probably 10 nurses everywhere.  The doctor got everything ready and off we went.

Now, when I heard forcepts, I didn't really know what that meant.  I pictured some sort of long tweezer-like things that would grab his head.  No.  What I saw were these tong-looking things the size of the dang spatchula The Boy from Texas uses on the bbq grill.   I can't even.

The doctor was right, two pushes, horrible pain, and the baby was out.  He didn't cry and all I could see was that his legs looked blue.  The Boy from Texas could see him and assured me that he was fine.  Dad cut the cord, the doctor finished up working on me, and that was that.

The Baby

So, with that, BB arrived.  He weighed in at 7 pounds, 10.9 oz.  (For the record, I had guessed he would be 7 pounds 11 oz earlier in the day.)  Measured at 19.5 inches long.  He had the cutest little face, the longest little feet, and hair that is just barely tinged red.

 

TBFT, BB, and our doctor, who TBFT now refers to
simply as "a badass."

The baby was delivered exactly as the coaches shook hands after the game.  While the doctor was working on me after the birth, he asked the nurses who won the game.  "The Patriots," I responded.  The doctor replied, "You were watching the game during that?!?"  What can I say?  I am, indeed, a football fan.

The After Party

After he arrived, the family came back in to meet BB.  My parents, Ty's mom, and Ty's sister were all there.  

 

Honestly, all I remember about this time was that I was so thirsty and starving.  They let me have some water right away but made me wait an hour for food.  By this point, it was midnight, nothing was open, and The Boy from Texas was also starving.  Enter our friends 4-H Agent and Show Photographer.  One text message later and these two showed up in the middle of the night bearing Whataburger for The Boy from Texas and red gatorade for me.  That, kids, is what friendship looks like.

And just like that, we were a family of three.

So, there you have it.  A birth story.  Without using the word cervix.  You are welcome.