16 weeks.

Whew, has it been a busy week. I had my first Christmas which seemed just like a lot of craziness. I did well though. Mom and Dad were both proud of me for sleeping in my Pack 'n Play at a noisy house. I am really good at going to bed at night even if I am not at home. I know Mom will come if I need her. She takes the monitor with us and watches me sleep. This week I took a 2.5 hour nap for the first time ever. Mom kept checking on me because I never sleep that long. Now she thinks I should do that more often, but I don't really like to sleep that long yet. That was just an accident.

This week I surprised my parents by reaching up and grabbing the bird on my activity gym. I have been looking up at him for a long time and I just thought, "I bet I can get him." Actually, Mom put an extra link in so that I could realize I could grab it, that was just the extra bit of confidence I needed. Now I can be left to play by myself since I enjoy it so much. I also liked the mobile at Grandma's house but I can't reach that. It is the same mobile that Daddy used to look at in his crib. I like to watch it spin. The doggie is my favorite.


Mom found a cute Santa hat for me. I wore it over to Grandpa and Grandma Schraer's on Christmas morning. I fell asleep in the car so everyone laughed at me and took pictures of me while I was sleeping. I woke up just in time to pray with the family, though I'll have to hear the Christmas story in the Bible next year because I slept through it.  I know that I have a lot to learn about Jesus and why He was born. Mom talks to Him though and sings about Him, so I know that He will be in my life too.

I got so many fun gifts for Christmas, I couldn't name them all. Dad and Mom got me a Piggy Bank with my name on it. Grandpa Schraer made me a toy chest and a highchair. I think they will be really fun when I get bigger.

Grandpa and Grandma Rhoten got me my activity gym that I have been playing with for weeks and a dog named Scout that plugs into the computer and plays recorded songs and stuff. I think that I am going to love it! I spent time with all my family including a loud night at Great Uncle John's. Lots of people wanted to hold me and I didn't mind. I think that I am getting used to it.

I have told you about my love for lights. I spent a lot of time this week looking into the tree at the lights. There was so many it was hard to concentrate. I would look at the red one, then the blue, then green, then back at the red. Mom would let me lay and look for while; she could tell I was intrigued.

Love & Laughs,
Isaac

15 weeks.

I am getting more creative with my words. Mom thinks I sound more like I am talking? Well, I am talking! I still go my big gasp, but now I add coos, and even gurgles. I put them all together to make sentences and sometimes I go on and one. My uncle Kevin talks a lot and I think he is pretty cool, so I thought I would try too. I make a "guh" sound and an "mmm" sound. Momma thinks I could be talking about her, but I know that is not her name. Sometimes I yawn and do a little scream at the end of it, that always make Mom laugh.

Mom is playing this new game that I find funny. She will say "Shake-a-shake-a-shake" while she shakes my arm. I like to laugh when my arm makes my whole body move. Mom must love my laugh because she does that all the time now, even thought I don't always laugh. When I do laugh it's just a single, deep grunt. I might do it a few times, but I think that I sound older then a baby with that belly laugh.

I have been spending a few days a week with Emily, Anna, & Ellie. They are introducing me to a lot of things that I did not know about. I watch a show called Calliou with Ellie; she really likes that one. I like to stare at all the colors and I think the kid and I have the same bald head. Anna and Ellie both like to hold me and play with me. I love all the action. I even went to a Barbie wedding! I also like to look at the lights there, especially the Christmas lights and the tree that goes on and off. I feel really loved when I am there and I know that Mom and Dad are so happy that I am safe and cared for. (Oh, and don't tell Dad that I kinda played with Barbies).

Love & Laughs,
Isaac

14 weeks.

I am 3 months old! I didn't go to the doctor this month, but mom is sure that I am growing and and gaining weight. She is not sure how much I weigh, but thinks 14-15 pounds. I am wearing 3-6 months clothes;  my torso is long. I seem to be growing into my feet. They are not only long, but now have a nice fat cushion on the top. Dad is impressed with my feet and looks at them and talks about them a lot. I am eating 6.5 ounces in each bottle, 5 times a day. I take about 4 naps a day, 45 minutes long. I sleep great at night, usually 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 or 7:30 a.m. Some nights I have slept over 12 hours.

Now that mom is at work, she comes home and has to start dinner. I either watch her cook or Dad will hold me and we have guy time. Dad holds me a lot in his lazy boy. We sit and read together or watch TV. He sings to me with music on or just out loud. I like to listen to his voice. I really like Dad. At dinner I always sit between Mom and Dad in my blue chair. They turn the vibration on and rock me if I am grumpy. I usually enjoy listening to them. They always pray and thank God for the meal and His provision. Then they eat and talk about their days at work. They talk about me a lot too. I like to look at Dad and then at Mom. Sometimes I don;t know who to look at, so I just look back and forth, back and forth. This makes Mom laugh. Sometimes I fall asleep during dinner because I am just too tired to make it until bedtime. Mom says I cannot do this much longer, I's be OK if she gives me an earlier bedtime like she is thinking about, once her hours at work change.

I laughed for the first time this week. Just a single grunt is all I know how to do. I also rolled up on my side for the first time. I didn't really know what to do with that, so I did not stay there. I also have been testing out a new cry that I make when I am mad. Mom calls it a "screech" and she doesn't like it; it sure does get her attention, though. Sometimes I just don't want to be in my bed for a nap; I'm much too tired for that.

Love & Laughs,
Isaac

2011: A Great Year!

2010 was an amazing year. Looking back, it is crazy how much has changed. A brand new amazing job, my boys (triplets I nanny) are 4!, visited new cities: Philly and San Francisco, elected to a board, put on a conference, remodel the living room, pulling up all the carpet in our house..... It was overall one of the best years of my life. I was awarded "Nanny of the Year" which was a huge honor. Blessing after blessing, this year just had God's gifts and provision all over it. I sat thinking the other day, how could 2011 be anywhere as awesome as 2010. Well, quickly I felt impressed that our lives are not measured by how exciting one year is. In fact a great year only seems so wonderful in comparison to the difficult ones. As I sat longer, more questions began to pop up.

Am I living a life that is pleasing to the Lord?
Am I honoring my husband and thus leading him closer to Christ?
Am I discipling in anyone?
Am I in community with others that are challenging me?

I have areas I need to grow and need to posture my life to bend that way.

Over 10 years ago, God spoke to me. (There are those moments, when you know that it is beyond you... and this was one of them). I was on a youth retreat and the Lord gave me a mental picture, how he often does when He speaks to me.

The picture was of a pitcher. The pitcher was not sitting still on a table (like the one on the left) but tilted and pouring. The pitcher needed to continually be filled to have the ability to continue to give of what is inside it. God was showing me that this pitcher was me, and that I consistently need to be filled to be able to to give to those around me.

I feel pretty full to overflowing, blessed and cared for. It is time for me to give more of myself. Also, I must consistently be filled.

So here are some resolutions (or better said - goals, vision, mission, plans) for 2011and beyond. It is important for me to put it in writing.  "And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time." Habakkuk 2:2-3

1. Reading Wednesdays (with Doug): Doug and I both love to read. We have a pretty big library of books that we haven't completed. We wished we spent more time reading, so we decided to have a quiet night without TV and music, where we focus on reading books individually and reading the bible together.

2. Community Game Nights (with Doug): We hope to have game nights once a month to invite different friends over, just to spend time together. We enjoy cooking and hanging out with others at our house, so we decided to make more of an effort to plan things and invite others over.

3. Family Days (with Doug and his parents): One Saturday a month Doug and his dad will get together and work on our house and his dad's house - projects are more fun with someone. Doug's mom and I will cook or shop. We'll then meet up to hang out, eat dinner, etc.

4. Our New Budget (with Doug): Over the last couple months we have been changing our budget. January begins some new areas in our budget including: date night, house fund, & Game Change campaign.

5.  Finish Our Fully-Funded Emergency Fund (with Doug): We are so close to finishing this! Very exciting. We follow Dave Ramsey's plan, so this is 3-6 months of your expenses.

6. Save Money for New Truck for Doug (with Doug): We are still figuring out what he wants and how long it will take us to save to pay cash, but after our Emergency Fund is done, this is our next task.

7. Two Vacations (with Doug): We will be taking a "friends vacation" around a friends wedding and our 5 year anniversary vacation that we had to cancel last fall!

8. Work Up to Working Out 4 Times a Week: One of my new benefits with my new job is a gym membership. I am so glad to be able to swim often, take Zumba and lift weights among other things. Though I love to dance, I plan to slowly add and increase my workouts.

9. Cook Two New Meals and One New Dessert a Month: I have so many recipes on lists that I have never tried. This is one thing that is not only fun for me but rewarding for Doug. I will be learning recipes from Mom Schraer and trying new recipes from my Christmas presents:  Rachael Ray Look & Cook, Martha Stewart Cupcakes and more!

10. Drinking More Water: I need to drink more water. I know that, but how much. It seems that I need 100 ounces/day from this Hyrdation Calculator, which asked me about 10 questions specific to me.

11. Carving Out More Time for Bible and Prayer in the Mornings: I now have a 30 minute commute each morning and afternoon. This has come to be a good time to enjoy my coffee and pray. I want to add to that Bible (from Doug's audio bible) and worship. I plan to make a playlist on my iphone each weekend for the week ahead (takes just a minute to drag the mp3s to the day). I have never read the whole bible in a year, but listing to a few chapters a day could make that easy. 

12. Community/Small Group: I have been involved in a few in my church, but none that I have been long-lasting. I also have felt impressioned to begin discipling. I am not sure of all the details, but will actively seek the opportunities this year. 

13. Honoring Doug: I just re-found a book I purchased last year called Sacred Marriage. I am only on chapter 3, but completely challenged to more aware how I treat Doug. I am not sure how or what this looks like, but I am on the journey to live this. 

14. More Nesting: I love our house. Over the last year, we have accomplished a few projects on the house. Lately I have been reading new blogs, like Young House Love, and so encouraged that you can do a lot with a little money. I cannot wait to tackle some creative projects that will make our home just a little more ours! 

15. More Writing For Pleasure: Writing for me has always been a discipline that bring me peace, inspiration, direction. Even as I wrote today, I feel encouraged and challenged. For many years I have journaled privately, but I feel that if my thoughts, challenges and experiences can be a benefit to even 1 person, why not let God use that. While I will continue to write on CincyNanny and Regarding Nannies,  you will see more personal writing here or possibly a new blog.

So that is what has been on my mind. Not a list that I threw together, but things that I have already been working on and other that I have been thinking or nervous about.

What are you committing to for 2011?
Anything on my list that you share the desire for?

Allow God to speak to you, and write it down. It is going to be a GREAT year!