Dear Isaac

Oh Isaac. Sweet Isaac. I love you. And I know that you love me. But I think that your love for me is rivaled by your love for these things known simply as "cookies". Goya Maria cookies to be exact.

In the world of cookies, they're really not half-bad for you. They even have a little protein in them! Perhaps you somehow know this and that is why you love them so. You stand by the drawer where they make their home, contort your face and point your finger in a way that can only mean one thing: "I want cookies!"

If you've eaten some decent food that day, you'll usually get 1...or 2...or 3. When that cookie is in your hand, birds are singing, flowers bloom, and all is right with the world. However, if you approach that drawer, signal for a cookie, and the answer is "No", WATCH OUT WORLD! You will scream until the cows come home, throw yourself on the floor 83473847293847 times in a row and promptly throw any non-cookie food offered to you straight to the floor! The first time it was entertaining. I guess you could even call it "cute", but now, not so much. You'll have to do something about that, ok?

Right now you're sleeping peacefully, probably dreaming of "Maria."

Until tomorrow, sweet dreams and all my love my little cookie face!

-Your jealousofcookies Mama-

Gotta love it

And he officially calls me MAMAAAAAAA!!!!! Woohoo!!! (After months of calling Diego Da Da, it's time! hehe)

Happy Spring!

Want to know the effect the economic crisis is having on a working mom who sells foreclosed homes?!!? I am busy out of my mind! And it is only going to get crazier as the eviction moratorium instated by the government was lifted as of April 1, and we start taking possession of all those homes too, so I’m holding on for the ride! I’m thankful that business is good for us and that I have a job to go to, and a pretty fun one at that! God is good!

We’ll know in the next 3 months or so if Wells Fargo will decide to keep us on, but it’s looking very good right now, so we’re hopeful. If you’re interested in buying a house, let me know towards the end of April, when we should hopefully have quite a selection!

I’m taking a vacation this week before the craziness ensues, and I am BEYOND excited about it! I just want to do some crazy spring cleaning, plant a garden and flowers with my momma, spend time with my 2 favorite boys and take afternoon naps with the littler of the 2. (Or both! If the bigger one happens to be home!) ;) I'm bummed that the weather isn't supposed to be great, but we'll make the best of it.

Speaking of little boys, ours is not so little! I feel like he’s gonna turn 5 tomorrow…I don’t know where the time goes! His face is changing (to me) and he looks older and more boy-like, yet he’s still my beautiful baby.

He’s up to 6 teeth (Ahh!) He’s having a very hard time with these last 2….major grumpiness, screaming fits, not sleeping, running a fever, runny nose. I was convinced he had his first ear infection, but the doc was quick to give him a clean bill of health and told us to get some Motrin, as if we hadn’t already tried everything under the sun. Now we just wait it out and hope that he stops growing teeth for a little while!!

He can now pull himself up onto things and walk along anything that he’s holding onto. His favorite is to sit on the couch and pull himself up to look out the window over the back of it. And of course the big accomplishment of the week, he's CRAWLING! Woo hoo!

Here's a short video of him crawling~

And holding on to walk~

He’s still saying Da-Da, and I think he’s starting to get WHO he’s talking about when he says it. He’s also making the B, G, V, and sometimes Z sound…no M yet, but I’m workin on it! ;)
We’re desperate for spring and summer around here, and can’t wait to get out in the yard to play and plant a garden, and down to the beach for a stroll! I don’t really have a green thumb, but my mom sure does, so with her help, hopefully we’ll grow some nice organic veggies (and maybe strawberries?) this year. I feel like an old lady for wanting to plant a garden, but oh well, we always buy organic veggies, so we might as well save some cash!

Diego decided to give him the camera and see what would happen, so here is Isaac's handywork with the camera, which involves mostly chewing on it! Enjoy!

TGIF

It's been a crazy busy month!! So busy infact, that my bosslady let me leave 2 hours early today because she said I "deserve" it for all the work I did this month....isn't that lovely?! I got to get home in time for Diego to not have to drop off the babe to his mom's house before going to work for the evening. Also lovely! AND I was home early enough to have a baby in a good mood who I took to Cottontails to get him some adorable clothes and sandals for this upcoming summer, all at wonderful prices. Lovely yet again!

Time is flying...I'm already thinking about Isaac's first birthday party! It's gonna be here before I know it!

God is being good to us, as always.

I made some homemade baba ghanoush last night. Sooooooo delicious! I suggest trying it. It's healthy, and it's super-expensive in Wegman's so it's also more economical to make your own.

Here's a recipe:

1 eggplant
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil



DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

This makes me happy :)

6 MONTHS!!

This beautiful little boy turned 6 months old today! I can't believe it! We had a little "Fudgy the Whale" cake on Sunday. The most Isaac got out of it was sticking his arm to it, but the rest of us enjoyed it. :)

As I reflect back on the last 6 months, I think that I have not cried more tears in my entire life. Tears of happiness, sadness, frustration, anger, joy, and utter disbelief that God would entrust Diego and I with such an amazing blessing!

I have never been so exhausted in my life to the point of delirium as I have been at times, and never so overwhelmed by life itself, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I have "pumped" in 3 different offices, countless bathrooms, Madison Square Garden, Living Waters Theatre, Cracker Barrel, and even while driving down the Parkway, in order to try to give my son the best nutrition possible, and will continue to do so.

I have learned that sometimes you just have to go on your mama's instincts and not listen to anybody else. No one knows their own baby like a mama.

Daddy took this picture of baby boy today while it snowed on Isaac's half birthday! What a sight he is!


Happy Half-Birthday to my beautiful boy!

Dah Dah Daahhh

We have lots of Dah Dahs and Bah Bahs these days............I'm so in love.

God, avocados, and MLK Jr.!

Our God is truly amazing and really, really, really does answer prayers. He is a GOOD God. I have been praying for a man that was an old boss of mine, who I haven't seen in a year in a half. He has been on my heart and I have prayed for him often. I was thinking last week how I miss working night shift with him and laughing about his tales of his 5 children and listening to him yell at people. He was sort of a grandfather-ish figure for me. We lost touch and though I have his number, it's not appropriate to call. So for some reason he popped in my head on my way to work last week ("some reason" being God), and I prayed for him that God would keep him well and show him His love. And I said "God, if I could somehow run into him to say Hi, it would bring such joy to my heart. I know there are millions of people in NJ, but if you want, you can make it happen."





So around noon on Friday my boss asks me where I want to go to lunch, and as per my usual, I was quick to reply "I have no idea, wherever you want." She said, "I think I want to go to a diner, but not the one here (by my new office), I want to go to the one in Warren (by our old office)." So off we went, to a diner I haven't been to in a year, that either him nor I live anywhere near, and guess who walks by me in my booth?!





Yes, our God is awesome. I don't believe in coincidences, only God-incidences. We got to chat for a couple minutes and I got to tell him about married life and Isaac and such (who he didn't even know existed!) It was lovely. Thank you Jesus!








In the land of Isaac, not too much is going on...his tooth is continuing to come in, enough that he has bitten his lip and erupted in tears 3 times. And I think the other bottom tooth is right behind it, since he cannot go 5 minutes the past 2 days without something in his mouth, and he's not very happy about it...he's pretty cranky. But we're having a blast nonetheless. We tried the avocado, but he definitely wasn't a fan. Once he's introduced to bananas, I'll try it again mixed with bananas. So we tried peas instead and he seemed to like them!





Diego got to use up the leftover avocado to make a Brazilian favorite of his-mashed avocado and sugar!

I tried a bite, but can't say that I really enjoyed it. (Sorry babe!) However, another way to do it is to make it into a smoothie of sugar and milk, and I think that might be on my list of things to try soon!

And last but certainly not least, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!! I always always always have loved his "I Have a Dream" speech, and greatly admire him in general, so I thought I'd post his speech for your reading pleasure.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

:)

Heavy Heart

My heart is aching today for Janet and her family.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090112/NEWS/901120358

Her sister Carolyn's 2 children were one of the families that I nannied for a few years ago. "Auntie J" was very dear to their hearts. She came over to visit them often, and they adored her. She was also the "mother" figure in Arianna's life, the daughter of the third sister who died 10 years ago of melanoma. Deanna found out she had cancer when she was pregnant, and died a year after Arianna was born. Janet stepped in and tried to be as close as possible to her to support her as she grew.

My heart just breaks for this family. For the parents who have lost 2 children in 10 years, for Carolyn, who is now the only child left of the 3 daughters, and for Arianna who has lost not only her mother, but her "second" mom. They are all followers of Christ, and their parents are exceptional and strong people, but I can't imagine the pain they must feel losing a second daughter 10 years and 1 day after the first.

Please join me in prayer for this family as they go through this difficult transition.

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."~John 11:25-26

Sweet Potatoes

YUM!

Isaac had his first real meal yesterday, which consisted of Sweet Potatoes! He's been grasping for his life trying to grab the food we've been eating lately, and he just hasn't been very satisfied, so we thought we'd try giving him some solids and see how it went. We skipped the rice cereal all together, as it basically has no nutritious value whatsoever (and can be constipating :X), and went straight for the good stuff! He LOVED it! The first video got cut off after his first bite, and the second video is towards the end where he was dying for more! His hands were all over it, so it got everywhere, but today he was much better, he just sat and opened wide! Towards the end of this week, or on the weekend, we're gonna try some avocado, which are awesome for his tummy and his little growing brain, and maybe add in a little oatmeal cereal next week. He's growing up so fast!!

AND, if that wasn't exciting enough, Isaac must have loved eating real food and is looking forward to more, because this morning he awoke with his first little bottom tooth popping through his gums!!! I can't get a picture of it yet since it's just the tip poking out and for some reason he doesn't like me putting the camera in his mouth...I dunno why......but I'm hoping it will grow in quick!

Videos, Isaac, and Blogging, Oh My!

I think Isaac has the most adorable laugh on the face of the planet (I'm sure every parent thinks likewise of their kids). Sometimes I'm literally moved to tears by the adorableness (is that a word?!) and sweet sound of it. This video wasn't exactly one of those moments, but I thought it was pretty darn cute! The laughs were more intense before the camera started rolling, but as in true Isaac fashion, as soon as the camera is turned on, he likes to stop entertaining us. ;)



Isaac finally got his feet to his mouth, after lots of practice. He seemed to enjoy it!

Isaac in his "Around-We-Go". He's been stumbling around in it for a couple weeks, but a couple of days ago, he finally "got it". Notice how Diego has to hide every time Isaac seems him, because he stops in his tracks.

Living My Dash

I heard about the "Dash" poem on 99.1 today. It's about when you die, and your tombstone is imprinted with your birth date and the date of your death, with a dash in the middle. But the most important part isn't your "birth" day or your "death" day, the most important part is the dash in the middle, that's where everything that means anything happens! Here's the poem:

The Dash

copyright 1996 Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

and spoke of the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that she spent alive on earth...

and now only those who loved her

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;

the cars....the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...

are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

that can still be rearranged

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what's true and real,

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives

like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

and more often wear a smile...

remembering that this special dash

might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

with your life's actions to rehash...

would you be proud of the things they

say about how you spend your dash?

This poem reminds me of the quote that says,

"Only one life, 'twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last."

That quote is so short, but pretty much wraps up everything it means to live as a believer.

Makes me really think about the choices I make throughout my day, and if they really make a difference...do they really make a difference for Christ or am I just doing whatever I need to do to get through the day....I'm sorry to say, it's usually the latter.

We're only here for such a short time....who knows if I will be here tomorrow. I need to make today count. I think of my stepfather that died suddenly at 38. THIRTY EIGHT!! That's me in 13 years!

I'm sure he never thought he would die that young...and we have no idea how long we will be on this earth.

James 4:14 (New King James Version)
"whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

So, all this to say, live your dash! Make it count!!

In other news, Isaac was screaming at me tonight because he wanted to pull out the bottom rack of the dishwasher and though he tried with all his 5-month-old might, suprisingly enough, he just couldn't do it!

The attempt.

Aaaah the frustration!
Booo hooo!

"I think I'll just look at Mom and blow bubbles instead...."

"Or just let her take pictures of me!"

:o) Good Night!

It bit me...

Yes, the blog bug bit me. For some reason I am compelled to share with the world my random thoughts throughout my day, as boring as they might be to anyone who reads this.

If nothing else, perhaps this will still be around when I'm gone for my kids to read...I can't imagine the internet is going anywhere, right? January is a good time to start this type of thing, ya know? New year, new beginnings, new blog....

Right now I'm watching my dear husband eat leftover shrimp and spaghetti after just getting home from work. He thinks I'm watching TV with him while surfing the internet, but he will soon find out that's not the case ;)

Sweet baby Isaac is in dreamland, where I'm praying he will stay until about 7am tomorrow...chances are, it ain't happenin.

I guess since it's New Year's, I should mention some resolutions. I can never decide on one, I always seem to want to progress/change in all different areas of my life. So in no particular order, they are:

1. Lose the rest of my "baby weight", and hopefully more.
2. Save some serious cash to put down on a house.
3. Begin managing my own properties, and selling them completely by myself by August 2009.
4. Connect with all the people in my life that have gotten lost in the shuffle of married baby life.

And now I'm off to dreamland myself, cause hubby just discovered what I'm doing!! ahh!