From the Pruitt Homestead

Homemade Pedialyte

2010-03-10T14:00:00.006-06:00

If you've ever had a sick little one in danger of dehydration, you're probably familiar with Pedialyte. Sam has needed it a couple of times, and yesterday at the doctor they told me he had double ear infections and bronchitis. Ouch. After I got him home, he threw up and has since been having near-constant (ahem)... diarrhea. Poor little guy.

Before making the trekk out to pick up some Pedialyte, I thought I would do a little looking around online for alternatives... mostly because the price of Pedialyte makes me think it's actually unicorn tears or something. Lo and behold, I found a recipe to make it yourself! I made a couple of minor tweaks, and wanted to share it with you.

Homemade Pedialyte

2 quarts water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons sugar (I used Stevia for something more all-natural, or you could use honey, but ONLY for a child over one year old)

1 packet sugar free Kool-Aid (or I used 2 Tablespoons of flavored gelatin)

Heat the water in a large pot over low heat - just enough to help other ingredients dissolve. Whisk in remaining ingredients until dissolved. Allow to cool, then chill.

You can pour some into ice cube trays to help keep their drink cold, or freeze with toothpicks to make homemade pedialyte popsicles. I poured some into an ice cube tray, covered it with press n' seal, stuck toothpicks down into the seal to help them stand up straight, then put it in the freezer. After I made it, I thought about adding some kids Emergen-C since that has electrolytes, antioxidents, as well as vitamins and minerals. I'll probably try that next time.

Hopefully you won't need to use this anytime soon, but if you do, I hope it helps!

First Haircut

2010-03-08T12:02:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, we decided to give Sam his first haircut. It was starting to get pretty long and unruly in the back. I thought about just letting it go and rolling him a rat tail or something, but Mike nixed that idea. He can be a real dream stealer sometimes. (See how cool they can look? If Marty with a rat tail can't convince him, I don't know what will.)

I won't say who accidentally shaved a small bald patch in an unfortunate area, but Mike did mumble something about banning me from the razor for the rest of eternity. Hey, it was his idea to go with the haircut... I'm the one who wasn't afraid to be edgy with the rat tail. Anyway, here's my sweet boy and the wiz hair-stylist in action:

He loved watching himself in the mirror. So much fun!

This was our trick for getting him to sit still. As long as the toothbrush was turned on and buzzing, he was putty in our hands.

Look at how cute he is! Just smiling away at his reflection.

The finished product. You did a great job, Mike! Sorry I called you a dream stealer. In reality, you make all my dreams come true.

The Boy in the Red Pants

2010-03-03T17:03:00.007-06:00

*** Warning: this post is long. I tend to word vomit when I haven't blogged in awhile and I'm truly sorry.

The weather was glorious today, so Sam and I tried to make the most of it and spent the afternoon at the park. Sam ran around and had a great time. I could tell that some of the kids and parents thought he was a little too 'friendly', but when did crawling over the other 3 children in the plastic tube over and over again become socially unacceptable? I guess they don't call him "The Bulldozer" in the church nursery for nothing. I apologized as much as I could. I can't decide whether to be excited or worried that he seems to have developed a shoe fettish. After bulldozing a crowd, he'd go back to each of them, point to their shoes and yell "Doooo!!". I know it sounds a little obnoxious, but somehow that seemed to make some amends for the 'dozing.

Anyway, that's not even what I wanted to post about. On to the real story...

While Sam and I were walking around, we kept passing a large group of boys who were running around like banshees with sticks. They were yelling, hitting each other, and just being true boys. I could tell they were trying to form teams for some type of game. I was able to decipher that the team leaders were Jonathan, Drew, and someone who was only referred to as "the boy in the red pants". I wouldn't have thought much of it, but I noticed their voices lowered at the very mention of him. Everyone wanted to be a part of his team. Poor old John and Drew weren't getting much love. I skimmed the crowd of dirt covered shorts, but didn't see any red. Eventually I heard someone ask, "Where is he? Where is the boy in the red pants?". He almost whispered it. You would have thought they were talking about Lord Voldemort or using curse words or something. My curiosity was piqued. No one seemed to know where he was, and at that point Sam decided he wanted to swing, so I lost out on the rest of the conversation.

As Sam played on the swings, the banshee party eventually dispersed among us peasants. I kid you not that I continued to hear whisperings of the red pant-ed mystery. It was pretty amusing, and I got sort of caught up in watching them play. There's something about little boys that just blesses me. The wild abandon, the energy, the enthusiasm, and the rough and tumble-ness of those little hunter-gatherers is just something I love to watch. I guess God really knew what He was doing when He gave me a son... imagine that!

It was getting time for us to leave, i.e. Momma was flat worn out, when it happened. I heard a low rumble forming from the banshee crowd. I looked up and the boys instantaneously formed into groups and were all running towards the creek. In a flash, there he was - the boy in the red pants. There was no question it was him. Time seemed to stand still. His red pants burned my eyeballs. I would have cried if I could have, both because of the emotion of the moment and the fact that his shirt had orange in it and not red. A true crime of fashion. He seemed to move in slow motion as he leapt over the creek in a single bound, stick suspended from his hand. He slashed and burned his way through the rest of the boys like I can rip through a bag of Oreos. He was glorious. Within a minute or two, the massacre was over and he and his men had taken the creek. Victory. The fallen John and Drew clans knew they were beaten, but seemed satisfied in their defeat. It was all over as soon as it had begun, but from the look on the boys faces, history had been made that day.

I packed Sam up and we got in the car. Before we drove off, I looked behind us at the group of warriors, but couldn't spot the boy in the red pants. He had vanished. Gone the same way he came, I guess.

Driving home, I felt blessed to have been a fly on the wall to such a momentous event. I also felt blessed that it was naptime and I knew Sam was good and tired. The boy in the red pants had really taken me back to that time of wonder and imagination as a kid. It's exciting to think that I probably have a guaranteed good seat to more stick fights in my future. And who knows, I might need to buy the 'dozer some red pants one of these days.

When it's grey outside...

2010-02-22T22:13:00.004-06:00

... this is one of my favorite things to do:

Fresh homemade cookies somehow make the grey seem ok. Especially when Mike makes a fire in the fireplace. The glorious, simple pleasures of home!

I love having a full jar of cookies on my counter. But the BEST part is definitely this:

Isn't he getting so big? I gave him his own big cookie and he was feeling pretty special. Gosh, I love that boy.

What it's all about

2009-12-21T20:50:00.009-06:00

Well, we had a busy weekend, but a really good one!

Have I mentioned that our small group at church is really awesome? Well, it is. We're blessed to be a part of a great group of people who truly love and are seeking after God. It seems like the group as a whole has developed a desire for service to those around us, particularly those in need. We've become involved with a local boys' home, and the guys in the group regularly go to visit and share with them, and many of them have accepted Christ. I've heard the guys talk about them a lot, and I was so excited that this past Friday night I got to finally meet them.

We held a Christmas party for the boys, and it was great. We had dinner, took a "Christmas quiz", had karaoke, a message from our old pastor, and gave them some gifts. Sitting at our table was a boy named Austin who had just turned 14. He was shy, and SO sweet, and I just wanted to take him home with us so badly. There was also a boy named Calvin who was hilarious and so much fun. He totally tried to cheat on the Christmas quiz, but we love him anyway.

Probably my favorite moment of the whole evening was this:

(sorry these pics are so dark. I think our camera's on the fritz)

This boys' name is Cody, and early into the party he came and asked Mike if he would play guitar for him while he sang 'Amazing Grace' on stage. Trust me when I say that this sweet guy probably couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but his heart was 100% into it. I have no doubt Jesus was smiling and soaking it up. It totally made me cry. My other favorite moment of the evening was probably the kid singing 'Annie are you Okay' on karaoke. Nothing says Merry Christmas like that. Good times.

Here's Mike with Calvin:

And here they all are, along with a few of our guys:

Our group has also adopted a needy family in our area as well. This family has 8 children and the Dad was in a motorcycle accident about a year ago which has left him paralyzed from the chest down. They just have nothing, and I mean nothing. So we all got the opportunity to buy the family Christmas gifts this year, and on Sunday afternoon a few of us were privileged to go and deliver them. Boy does it put things in perspective!

The whole family
Iris in front of all the presents!

I'm so grateful to have opportunities like these, especially at Christmastime. As far as honoring Christ, His birth, and what He came to do, I don't know if there's much that's more fitting.

Brotherly Love

2009-12-18T13:34:00.003-06:00

Sneaker and Sam have become pretty good buddies!

I thought it was pretty cute and got so absorbed in taking pictures, that I forgot about my sandwich on the stove and ended up with this for lunch:

Oh well, it was worth it!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-12-17T09:15:00.005-06:00

Since it's Christmastime and all, I thought I should reflect on a few of my favorite things, and the things that I'm really thankful for... in no particular order.

* Sam dancing

* Our laptop with wireless internet

* A fire in the fireplace

* The health of my family

* Multiple cup holders on our stroller

* The sound of the garage door opening and knowing Mike is about to walk through the door

* Online shopping (see post below)

* Sam laughing

* Good friends who spur me on in my walk with the Lord

* The glee at bathtime

* Mike, in every way

* Sermon podcasts, particularly those by Matt Chandler

* Peaceful naptimes

* The childcare workers at church

These guys pretty much sum it up. Mike's getting some Sam kisses :)

Adventures in Christmas Shopping

2009-12-14T21:36:00.002-06:00

Sam and I ventured out today to try and finish up some Christmas shopping. He's a typical boy and doesn't usually enjoy our shopping times together, so I've learned to keep it to one stop. He'll only take so much in-and-out of purgatory, i.e. his car seat, so I've learned to use strategery when it comes to this.

Today I pushed it past the once in and out of seat norm, and suffered the consequences. I don't know that we'll be allowed back into the JCPenney on the service road ever again. Sorry, my fellow shoppers. I should have known better than not to disrupt the car seat gods on such a busy shopping day whilst nearing nap time.

After arriving home in a pool of sweat, blood and tears I have vowed to do all of my Christmas shopping online next year.

That's all I have to say about that.

P.S. I just found out that there is a Hobby Lobby going in right near the house... within like a 5 minute drive!! It's a happy day after all.

Anybody still out there?

2009-12-11T09:42:00.008-06:00

Again, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. The last month and a half or so, we've been doing the rounds of sickness and I've also been doing some work for my old employer during my "down time". But I'm hoping all of that's dying down now, and posting will pick back up!

We had a great Thanksgiving with the Pruitts on the farm! Sam loves being out there where he can roam free outside, play with all 3 dogs, terrorize the one poor cat, and go up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs.

With Grandma on the all-toys-are-now-ruined-for-me stairs

Exploring the vast wilderness with his awesome new wagon

Here we all are on Thanksgiving day!

While we were in town, we went out to the Woolaroc Wonderland of lights

Corraling Sam in one of the museums. They have a narwhal horn here, which always impresses me

We got our Christmas tree up, and I'm proud to report that Sam is pretty well tree-trained! We still have the occasional stealthy ornament kidnapping, but overall he does really well around the Christmas tree, and seems to be enjoying it.

The fireplace. I'm still trying to figure out how to hang the stockings. Any suggestions?

The kitchen table. Most of our Christmas decor has been put roughly 3 feet high or more.

And, if I can get the video to load, here's a clip of Sam "finishing" his dinner last night. He just caught on to this trick, and we still get too much of a kick out of it to really do any reprimanding, i.e., responsible parenting.

Hope ya'll have been doing well!

Great Weekend in the 'Ville!

2009-10-22T10:10:00.005-05:00

Last week, Mike took Friday off and we packed up the whole family, including our poor dog who has been neglected of late, and headed to our hometown to visit family and have a little down time. Luckily, Mike's parents were also off work last Friday, so we dropped Sam off with them on Friday morning and spent the majority of the day by ourselves. It was awesome. We had lunch at one of Mike's favorite home-town dives, did a little shopping at the mall, took an awesome bike-ride on a beautiful trail, and just basked in each other's company. It was really great, and was a good reminder for me that we need to find a local babysitter and get more one on one time. It's so important, and so refreshing. Of course, by the time we went to pick Sam up, I was missing him terribly, but I had a good time nonetheless.

I think the mall shopping was one of my favorite activities, mostly because I got the opportunity to try clothes on without a stroller taking up 90% of the dressing room. Normally I'm crammed into the corner, trying my best to entertain an impatient Sam, while shimmying into the clothes and trying to make a decision within 5 seconds in an effort to not push Sam into full melt-down mode. I learned my lesson after the unfortunate Kohl's meltdown of '09 a couple of weeks ago.

We stayed with my parents and got some good visit time with them, and also got to spend some time with Mike's fam. Sam really enjoyed seeing everyone, and did SO GREAT on the trip. We discovered the he loves to climb stairs, and LOVES all the attention that comes with being around lots of family.

Sam wearing Grandpa Pruitt's boots

Getting into the true spirit of being on the farm

It was a great trip!

To make up for the dryness around here lately... a super long post.. almost as long as this title, but there are baby pictures so stick with me

2009-10-12T09:33:00.003-05:00

I know I’ve neglected my blog lately, sorry about that. Sometimes life gets a little bit crazy and I let it slip. Other times we get our new Office Season 5 DVDs in the mail from Amazon and I spend every free moment I have watching deleted scenes and gag reels, and otherwise just being a nerd. But I’m back and loaded with updates!

First off, I know I promised some new house pics awhile back and never delivered. I've decided to wait until I get the house decorated for Fall before I take any pictures. Because frankly, right now there are no decorations whatsoever, so the pictures would be really boring. (Sorry Chris, I really am!!)

There are so many Sam updates and stories that I can’t possible tell them all here, so I’ll just highlight the big one. My boy is WALKING!! I don’t mean kind of taking a step here and there, I mean full-blown, my life is over – WALKING. I suppose we have officially entered into toddlerhood, so your prayers would be much appreciated.

Sam beating up some balloons at Aunt Christina and Uncle Brandon's house!

On the subject of Sam, (I knew I wouldn’t be able to just tell one thing), he is a sick little hombre right now. The doc says it’s not the flu, but he’s running a fever, and has bouts of acting lethargic. I never thought I would use the words Sam and lethargic in the same sentence, but there it is. He’ll actually crawl up in my lap and lay his head on my chest… this, I am not complaining about. But I do hope he gets better soon. When I took him to the doctor, I was waiting for the lady to get to the check-in counter when Sam starting throwing up all over both of us. The waiting room was packed and people were watching us in horror. A kid who I’d peg at about 8 years old started gagging, and I just knew we were about to start the puke domino effect. A couple of kind souls offered to go get paper towels for us but frankly, I don’t think a paper towel would have removed all the puke from my hair, let alone the rest of us. We got whisked to the back in our full glory where we were brought wet towels, so regretfully, I didn’t stick around to see whether or not we’d set off the puke wave. [Update: I wrote this paragraph before the latest episode of ‘The Office’ where there was an actual puke wave… just thought you should know. They must have been in the dr.’s office that day.]

I don’t know how to transition from ‘puke wave’ to my next update, so I’ll just skip right to it.

Weekend before last, some of the girls from small group rented a cabin in the wilderness of the Davis area, and just got together for good times. I got to go on Friday and spend the night with them, and it was really great to have a night away and hang out with some really great girls. We ate, played games, did karaoke, and danced. Well, they danced… I made a fool of myself. It will shock you to know that I didn’t get any pictures, but there are plenty of embarrassing ones floating around out there (you know who you are), so if you are on facebook, I’m sure you can get your fill.

Saturday morning Mike and Sam came and picked me up and we drove to the Dallas area to visit my sis and brother-in-law and their new baby boy. Ya’ll, it was amazing. When I got there, Isaac was sleeping in his crib, but my sis let me go in and peek at him, and I was just overwhelmed with emotion. He was laying on his side with his little arms folded up by his head, and he was so perfect that it just didn’t seem real. (Go visit her blog and you’ll see a pic of what I’m talking about). It really was a special moment meeting my sister’s son for the first time. Very surreal, and so exciting. Isaac is the most laid-back baby I have ever been around. He just let me hold him for the longest time, without making a wimper, and only fussed a little when it was time to eat. My sister says he’s sleeping well and eating well, and so basically, they have the perfect baby. I am just so thrilled for them. I would say I am 95% thrilled for them, and only 5% jealous. Maybe more like 80/20. I can’t wait until Isaac gets a little older and can go on adventures with Sam. I’m hoping they’ll be good buds. That’s why I'm only 30% jealous…

Holding Isaac for the first time. He's awesome!

Well, I think this post is already past way too long, so I will leave it until next time. Hopefully next time won’t be too far off. Although we did just get DVR, so I can’t promise anything.

Have a great week!

Aunt Stephanie x 3!

2009-09-22T11:34:00.002-05:00

At 12:30 a.m. yesterday morning, my newest nephew was born! His name is Isaac Aiden Ritter, and he weighed in at 8 lb. 4 oz and 21 inches long. Praise the Lord for a big healthy boy!! My sister is amazing, I am so proud of her. She did this with NO EPIDURAL, PEOPLE!! Let me repeat that: NO EPIDURAL.

We got a text message Sunday night that they weren't going to be able to give her one, and let me tell you something, I started sweating bullets. Sometimes my sister and I have this strange twin-like connection about things, and my stomach started churning and I felt like I was about to have a nervous break-down. I thought surely I was somehow feeling a smidge of what she was feeling. And then I talked to her the next day and found out that she had been completely mellow and calm about the whole thing. Well then. I guess we know who the more stable sister is.

Feast your eyes on this precious boy, and my gorgeous sister, somehow looking totally beautiful after having given birth to a big baby boy with NO EPIDURAL.

I can't wait to go visit and get my arms around them. I love you Ritters so much!!

I Love Ya Tomorrow, You're Only a Day Away

2009-09-16T10:29:00.004-05:00

The weeks of torturous waiting are almost over... I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. The new season of The Office starts tomorrow. TOMORROW! NBC Thursdays at 8. Don't miss it!

They really don't pay me, but they should.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2009-09-03T15:27:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, our little family got to go out to a Redhawks game downtown. Mike's work has a box at the stadium, so we got to watch the game in style. They even gave us a parking pass - the "GOLD" pass, which is right by the entrance to the stadium, so we didn't even have to walk to get there. It's a good thing, because normally I'm not inclined to exert much physical effort to watch baseball. (It's a totally different story with Sooner football, by the way, and I am PUMPED about watching the first game of the season this Saturday!)

When we made it to the box, we got to visit with some of Mike's co-workers, and chow down on the food provided. We even got a visit from Rowdy the Redhawk. Sam got a kick out of him!

It was great to casually walk outside and pretend to pay attention to the field, but then retreat right back to the air-conditioning and partake of the munchies. We felt so VIP, even though we're so not. For example, I mistook the honey mustard salad dressing for dip for the chicken fingers, because how on earth could you possibly eat chicken without gravy or some other such cream sauce? We had a great time, and I hope we get to go back again sometime, as long as Mike's work doesn't get stingy with the gold passes.

Birthday Bash

2009-08-31T09:24:00.005-05:00

Well, we're all moved in! At least, all of our stuff is here. It will probably be awhile before everything is actually put away and set in place, but at least we are functional at the new place. We moved in on a Saturday and the next Saturday we had Sam's birthday party here. I don't know what we were thinking either. There's been a wee bit of psychosis on my part the past week or so. And more Dr. Pepper and Oreos to help it go away.

The party went well, and I think Sam had a good time. He downed his cupcake and ice cream like a pro. My genes really shone in him during that moment and I was so proud.

I think the sugar crash came about an hour after everyone left and the house was quiet again. In time he'll learn that's a sacrifice you have to make to enjoy the good stuff in life, like Dr. Pepper and Oreos.

It was really special to us to have so much family at the party. Both sets of Mike's great-grandparents live within a day's driving distance, and made the trip to be here, and we're so glad they could make it. I have to give a big shout out to Mike's parents for coming early to help around the house before the party started. I don't think I could have pulled it off without your help, Cindy! My Mom was home recovering from surgery, so I'm glad they didn't try to make the trip, but we missed them anyway. I hope you're feeling better and taking it easy, Mom!

Here are a few more pics from the party:

Sorry to disappoint you, but my baking skills are not for hire. This is supposed to be a white, cock-eyed teddy bear face, not a pig as my father-in-law thought. Easy mistake to make. Sadie in her birthday hat. She was the only child who wore one without complaint. Isn't she precious?

The birthday boy was not so compliant.

In true one-year-old fashion, he enjoyed eating the cards and wrapping paper more than playing with the toys.

And this pic wasn't taken at the party, but it seemed appropriate since it looks like he was having a little too much fun at a party and took a pic of himself.

And in totally unrelated news, I am extremely pumped because I have found THE BOOTS I want for this Fall/Winter. My boots are very important to me and play a huge role in my Fall/Winter life, so choosing them is like looking for a best friend. At least until a cuter, more stylish friend comes along in just the right shade of brown, in which case the old boots are toast. Anyway, here they are:

Aren't they cute?

Well, I'd better get back to unpacking while Sam is still napping. I'll post some pics of the new place soon, promise!

Samuel Keith

2009-08-25T08:34:00.006-05:00

August 25, 2008

One year ago today, my life was forever changed. At 6:35 p.m. I was doing some of the hardest physical work I've ever done, and through the blur of pain, a sea of medical staff, and near-mental shut down I heard Mike say with a broken voice, "He's out Steph, he's out!". In that surreal moment I looked to my left and saw my son. Oh, my heart.

Before my mind could really register much besides "SAM!!!", I heard all of the nurses (I think there were approximately 237 of them) start saying "Woah he's HUGE!", and "Wow, look how BIG". All I could think was that he was perfect. They put him on the scales and sure enough, he was a whopping 10 lbs 5 oz. My big Sam boy.

I'd say that's a pretty accurate overall description of him. He's a big boy physically, but also in personality. He's loud, he's fast, he's active, he's strong, and boy is he ever cute. I think as a Mom you always feel like you come up about 1,000 times short of expressing how you feel about your child, but suffice it to say that I think he's the greatest thing on the planet and it feels like my heart is physically outside of my body. He just rocks.

Happy first Birthday, my sweet Sam! I'm forever grateful and proud to be your Mom and you'll never, ever know how much I love you.

Boxes, Chaos and Oreos, Oh My

2009-08-18T09:00:00.005-05:00

Things are just a little crazy around here at the moment. We're closing on our new house today (why am I blogging again?), and in full swing of all that comes with moving your entire household. I would show you a picture of the chaos that surrounds me right now but frankly, I'm a little embarassed and also, I have NO EARTHLY IDEA where the camera might be. The way I've been packing, it's probably in an old purse stuffed inside an old school bag stuffed inside a box filled with toys, electronics, and pantry items. Mike hasn't said much about my packing, but the look on his face as he watches me says it all. Meaning... I don't think he loves me for my packing skills. Bless his sweet, patient heart.

The next post I write could very well officially come from THE new Pruitt homestead. In the meantime I'll probably be slashing and burning with the packing (and re-packing as Sam likes to undo the precision that is a box I've just finished), and trying desperatly to ignore the chaos around me. And probably consoling myself and rewarding my hard work with Dr. Pepper and Oreos as has been my habit lately. Good eating habits will come with the new house, kay? I'll check in from there in a few days!

How to Eat a Sandwich with an Almost-One-Year-Old

2009-08-12T12:50:00.002-05:00

1. Get bread out of pantry and lunchmeat out of refrigerator.

2. Quickly scoop dead rolly polly off of floor as baby speeds toward it with a crazed look in his eye.

3. Spread mustard on bread.

4. Take dog hair out of baby's hand and mouth. Wash your hands and his.

5. Get cheese out of refrigerator.

6. Realize you're out of milk and orange juice as you're looking in the refrigerator. Quickly write these items on your shopping list.

7. Retrieve pen used to write said items on shopping list from baby. Try your best to wipe ink off of babys face without removing top 3 layers of skin.

8. Place lunch meat on bread.

9. Investigate noise of dog lapping liquid from the floor.

10. Remove baby from puddle of spilled apple juice and banish dog to back yard.

11. Mop up the spill.

12. Change baby's soaked clothes and give him quick sponge bath.

13. Notice baby's hamper is overflowing. Put on washing.

14. Place cheese on sandwich and put it all together.

15. Hear the phone on speaker phone making a call. Run to end the call, pray you won't see a long distance charge to Indonesia later this month, and place phone out of baby's reach amidst much protest.

16. Place sandwich on plate and sit down to enjoy lunch.

17. Tend to wailing baby who insists it is naptime.

18. Change baby's diaper, put him down for nap.

19. Eat sandwich and relish the peace and quiet while blogging about the experience.

This is Just Awesome

2009-08-08T07:48:00.002-05:00

I love this. It almost makes me want to plan a vow-renewal ceremony or something, and be really creative about it. Why didn't we think of this?

A Baby Shower, a Family Reunion, and My Baby's Growing Up...

2009-08-04T17:09:00.009-05:00

Did ya'll miss me? I've been back in town for several days now, but it's been a little busy and I've been a little tired, hence the lack of a new post. Hopefully this entry will help get me back in the swing of things!

I'm happy to report that my road-trip to Texas with Sam was wonderful! Sam was an absolute pro and made nary a peep on the drive down OR the drive back up. Lord be praised! I had a fabulous time as I got to throw my sister a baby shower along with my Mom, my sis's mother in law and sisters in law. It was beautiful and fun, and we had a great turn-out too, so it was greatness all around. I also got to stay a couple of days afterwards to visit with my sis and help her finish some things up on her nursery. Ya'll, this is one fab nursery. You can head on over to her blog to check out some pics. I won't mention that I'm just a little peeved that my sister is unbelievably gorgeous as a pregnant woman while I turned into what can best be described as a hippo monster. I also won't mention that her ankles are still skinnier than mine and she's 7 months pregnant. I'll let you figure that out from the pictures.

My Mom and sis

A couple of days after Sam and I got home, there was a Pruitt family reunion here. It was great getting to see a lot of Mike's fam that we don't normally get to see. They're really great people. Mike's sweet Aunt Janie had put together tons of memory books and picture albums for everyone to enjoy, and it was really fun to see all of the old pictures of the fam and hear some funny stories. Good times.

Sam with cousin Quinn and Aunt Marsha. He really liked them - especially because they let him play with their blackberry!
Having a blast with Dad in the pool
The whole Pruitt gang. What's a family picture without matching shirts?

And in totally unrelated news, I have to give a few updates on Sam. Because no blog post of mine is complete without him. MY LAD HAS SAID HIS FIRST WORD, and you know what it is? Well, to give you a hint: I lovingly care for him 24/7, carried him for 9 1/2 months, gave birth to him, sing him his favorite songs, read to him, play with him, feed him,... you get the picture. So naturally, his first word was Dada. Oh, the sweet sting of bitterness. He's coming around to Mama though... or maybe I'm just delusional. Anyway, he's also started waving (SO cute!) and clapping, and drinking through a straw. He's just growing up so fast. He'll turn one this month, and I am completely and utterly amazed by that fact. Time sure flies when they're babies, doesn't it?

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2009-07-23T21:58:00.003-05:00

Sam and I are leaving for a little road trip down to Texas in the morning. We'll be gone for a few days, and will be away from Mike and home for probably the longest consecutive time ever (at least since Sam has been born). I'm looking SOO forward to the trip, but as I think about it, I already miss Mike and he's sprawled out on the loveseat near me, eating the last of the ice cream out of the carton and channel surfing. Ah, I'll miss that these next few days. Really I will. I also probably won't be able to blog for several days... and I'll miss you, too. Act like you'll miss me back, m'kay?

'Til next time, friends!

Tips for Beating Baby Boredom

2009-07-21T14:25:00.011-05:00

Here are some fun things to do while Mom is busy cleaning, cooking, or whatever it is she does...

If she's in the kitchen anyway, it can be fun to help unload the dishwasher baskets.

And the lids for the pots and pans are super fun to slide around the floor. They make awesome noises. (Sorry for the lack of a visual aid with this one... you'll have to take my word for it that it rocks.)

The bathroom is a goldmine. You can throw the magazines into the bathtub (they look better there anyway)...

Or grab one and do a little reading. In my spare time, I like to catch up on what's new this Fall from LL Bean.

And my favorite bathroom activity: unrolling all of the toilet paper. Doesn't it make the floor look more comfy?

Then if you're lucky and sneak a handful of the tp, you can find a quiet spot and chow down.

Activities like these help me pass the time when Mom is distracted. They also help ensure I get her full attention once she sees what I can do without her help. I hope they help you too!

Best Wishes,

Sam

6 Years

2009-07-19T14:26:00.006-05:00

On July 19, 2003 I married the love of my life.

How is it possible that it really gets better every year?

Happy anniversary, Mike. I love you with all my heart!

A couple of links in honor of this past 4th

2009-07-12T12:03:00.011-05:00

A friend of ours suggested we go online and watch this. If you've got a half-hour to spare sometime, you should check it out. We thought it was pretty interesting.

Also, my Dad had us listen to this, and we thought it was pretty funny. It's just audio, and is just a couple of minutes long.

For those of you that listen to that last one: You're welcome!

The Caped Crusader

2009-07-08T08:44:00.011-05:00

*He patrols every room, hallway, corner, closet, and nook in sight, never growing weary.

*He diligently watches over his toys, throwing them, smashing them, and banging them together 'til all is safe.

*He fearlessly treks around large objects, never to be deterred by a mere stumble, injury, or roadblock.

*He selflessly seeks and secures all loose objects which are not nailed down, placing them in his mouth where they rightfully belong.

*He rids the house of unseen june bugs who have met an untimely demise (DON'T ASK)

*He empties bottom shelves and drawers of pesky household items that stand in his way.

*He seeks and destroys any and all items made of paper. (Magazines are the most notorious villain of all)

*He boldly brings down even the strong by the sheer force of his voice.

*He captures the heart of his Mom, bringing her joy, laughter, and boundless love.

Such are the duties of the caped crusader, and I proudly tell you that he carries them out without hesitation, every day of the week.

The bulb syringe is his weapon of choice

4th of July and More

2009-07-06T09:28:00.006-05:00

Mike had a little bit of time off work last week, so we decided to take a trip back to our home town for a visit. It was my Mom's birthday on Thursday, and we got to surprise her by showing up for her birthday dinner unexpectedly, and that was really fun. It was wonderful spending some one on one time with my parents. We had dropped Sam off with Mike's parents (thank you, Pruitts!!!) and made an evening out of it by going to an ACTUAL, real live movie theater to see a movie. It was the first time in a long time that we'd been able to do that, and we were SO excited. We ended up choosing the crap-tacular Transformers movie. As Mike said, "they should have paid us sixteen dollars to watch that". Maybe we're just really out of touch with movies these days and what you kids are watching. So, my apologies if it's your fav.

Being true to myself, I barely got any pictures from the entire 4 day weekend, but I'll post some of what I did get.

Here's our car all packed up for the trip. Exciting, I know. But we took the whole family, including our furry son Sneaker. This dog has an enormous fear of anything in the inanimate object category. So, sitting in the back next to all this... well, I'm pretty sure it was his idea of purgatory.

Can you see the fear in his eyes?

Sam eating a whole banana for the first time. He was a little unsure at first...

But decided he liked it. Check out those teeth!
Sam decked out in his red, white and blue. I think Grandpa Pruitt's telling him all his secrets.

Further proof that I am in serious need of camera training. I'm not sure what the intent was here, but I missed it.

Sam did ok on the trip, except that 2 out of the 3 nights ended up being sleepless. We hadn't dealt with that in awhile, so to say I was a little crabby by Sunday is an understatement. I think Sam was a little crabby at that point too. We dropped him off in the church nursery Sunday morning, and they paged us not too long into the service. When I went to pick him up, they said "Wow, he can scream pretty good, huh?!" Yeah, we needed to get home.

All in all, it was great to visit family, and for Mike and I to steal a little time away by ourselves. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend too!

The New Pruitt Homestead in Progress

2009-06-29T08:48:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics of the progress on the new homestead. It's done on the outside except for painting, guttering and shutters (I think), and it's all sheet-rocked on the inside and they're working on flooring and wood stuff.

Ok Jules, your bedrooms are right behind those front windows!

Looking towards the entry from the living room

Some tile in the kitchen
The beginnings of the vanity in the guest bath

And just for kicks... my cute froggie after a bath. Baby robes are totally impractical but so darn cute, don't you think?

It's hard to believe we'll be in the house in just a matter of weeks... probably around 6 or 7. Ya'll are all going to come visit when it's finished, right?

Never the Same Again

2009-06-26T10:25:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine, Nancy Rowland, just got through the long process of having her first book published! She has written several devotional books that are all amazing, but her latest one was picked up by Tate publishing. It was quite a process, but I believe it will bless many people. It is now available on Amazon.com (check it out here), or I think it will be in Mardel stores soon.

Nancy is an incredible woman of God who has taught me so much through our friendship, and I was extremely honored to write the forward for this devotional book. I really am blessed to know her. I think you'd be blessed to read her devotional thoughts as well. Be sure to check it out!

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

2009-06-25T08:28:00.006-05:00

While I was at a friends house yesterday having a playdate with some great girls and their kiddos, Sam discovered the 'My Size Barbie'. He stood beside her, entranced, for what seemed like forever. I'm not sure if he was love-struck, confused, or concerned that she seemed unable to move (he did place his hand gingerly on her shoulder for awhile as if to make sure she was ok). My guess is that he was majorly crushing. Personally, I think he could do better.

Just a Sappy Sam Post

2009-06-22T08:57:00.004-05:00

I'm his Mom, I can't help it. I just have to gush a little bit sometimes.

Did you see that? He's pulling up all on his own, up to his feet, and just enjoying the view from waaaay up there. He's even pulled up whilst holding on for dear life to the edge of the coffee table and taken a few steps around it. I do believe we're on the verge of 'cruising'! And walking, too... but I can't talk about that yet.

For those of you that haven't been around Sam for any length of time, he is, how shall I say... a tad loud. The boy is just enthusiastic, but his enthusiasm can be a little ear-piercing at times. I was in Wal-Mart the other day and Sam was sitting in the cart, happily swinging his cute chunky legs and looking around at everyone, babbling to them. He noticed he wasn't getting anyone's attention, so he started 'talking' at the TOP OF HIS LUNGS. I was the Mom trying to keep her head down and finish up at lightning speed. You've never seen someone push a cart so fast. Sam was still belting it out, and I was still embarassed, when I stopped to grab something and all of a sudden Sam leaned forward, wrapped his arms around my waist, and gave me the tightest hug in the world. I looked down at him, and he was just looking up at me with a smile on his face. Instinctively I leaned down, and he immediately grabbed my neck and continued with the best hug ever. Pardon me while my heart melts. He held on forever and all of a sudden I wasn't worried anymore who was looking at us. This is my boy, I couldn't love him more - loud or not, and I want to cherish every moment.

Thanks for letting me gush.

Italian Goulash

2009-06-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

1 large stalk celery, thinly chopped
3 large stalks green onion, thinly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 large can spaghetti sauce (I use the garlic and onion flavored)
1 14 oz. can italian diced tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown rice

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, green onion, onion, and garlic and saute until tender, around 5 minutes. Add turkey meat and brown. Once turkey is completely cooked through, stir in spaghetti sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until completely warmed through. Serve over cooked brown rice.

This recipe is based on a goulash recipe my Mom gave me. I changed and added just a couple of things, and we really like it! It's really healthy, and it's definitely a complete meal all in one. It's also pretty inexpensive. The leftover are great re-heated too, and I'm usually not very good about eating leftovers. Oh, and I also added a dash of garlic salt and a dash of Italian seasoning, but I don't know that it made much difference. Enjoy!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

2009-06-17T22:33:00.010-05:00

I've been out of town for about a week now, visiting family. It was just wonderful. It's also great to be home now, but I'm so glad I got to see everyone.

My Dad's side of the family has an annual reunion on Petit Jean mountain in Arkansas. It might sound scary, but it's awesome. I truly have wonderful family. We hike, swim, visit, play games, have talent shows, and eat and eat and eat. It's a great time. Here are some fun pictures from this year's reunion.

Cousins! My precious niece Madelyn holding Sam. My precious nephew Greyson looking a little scared of the situation.

Mike and I found our carving we did a few years ago on the hike to the Falls. Yeah I know, we're terrible vandals. But we thought it was cool.

On the hike to the Rock Cave. Mike said Sam was cutting off his circulation by the time we were coming back.

The Falls this year at Petit Jean. Pretty, huh?

We took Sam to the pool and he LOVED it. It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

This is priceless. After awhile, he just reclined back in his floatie and had a good ol' time.

My Mom and Madelyn... so cute!

There were some storms while we were there with some REALLY strong winds! I snapped a pic of this tree, but we saw one just outside the back of our cabin get ripped up and then hurtled down the mountain.

The family patriarch and matriarch - my sweet Rhodes Grandparents with Madelyn and Greyson.

All my siblings, nieces and nephews. Notice Isaac, my nephew on the way!

All of my immediate family outside of our cabin. How cute are we in our matching shirts? (Thanks, Mom!)

Right after Petit Jean, Sam and I loaded up and went to my home town to spend a little more quality time with my immediate family - my brother and his family were in town to visit, and they live in Minnesota so we don't get to see them very often. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend a little more time with them.

I was a little worried that Mike would decide he liked it better around the house without us, but thankfully he seemed happy to have us home. Sam was instantly in a good mood when we got here. He crawled around with a big grin on his face, cheerily greeting his familiar toys and stuffed animals. It was super cute.

I do love family, and I love home, and after the past few days, I also heart my cruise control. It's been a great week!

Sold!

2009-06-08T07:13:00.007-05:00

Cue the 'Hallelujah' chorus - our house is sold! We are praising and thanking the Lord so much. He worked it all out perfectly, as He always does.

We sold it just last night to a sweet young girl who is in nursing school and getting ready to get married. We'd had a few offers already, but they were too low that we just couldn't accept, but she "made us an offer we couldn't refuse" (in the voice of the Godfather). But the real beauty of this is timing... the later she can move in the better which, of course, is awesome for us. We can stay in this house until our house is finished - even if it takes a month or two longer than expected. No fussing with apartments, pet deposits, a huge storage facility, or any of that. And I get to enjoy this house that much longer.

As excited as I am about the new place, I'm sure going to miss this house. It is our first house - one that we have loved and cared for, and fixed up. We have a lot of memories here - I mean, we brought Sam home from the hospital here! It makes me sad to think he won't remember this house, but we will be taking lots of pictures before we leave so that we can show him one day.

Thank you, Lord, for your provision in a buyer, a new home, and perfection in all the small things. You give more than we deserve.

I'm Officially a Mom

2009-06-03T16:28:00.007-05:00

It's been official for awhile, but if you make it to the end of my post, you'll know what I mean.

This morning started off pretty well. We had an incident with carrots that sent them flying across our table and a good part of the floor, but they cleaned up pretty easily. As I was cleaning those up, I looked over to see Sam emptying the bottom shelf of the pantry, and chewing on the cardboard part of a coke carton.

We got to the afternoon and I knew Sam wasn't feeling too well because he wouldn't nap unless he was being held. When I felt something wet trickling onto my belly, I stood up to go take care of our pee-soaked selves, and he started throwing up - all over himself, and all down my back. He's thrown up on me before, but this was the uh... motherload. How his stomach even contained that amount of liquid amazes me. I stood there for a few seconds, both of us dripping, and trying to decide my course of action. This was one of those times I really wished for some of those "servant girls" they mention in Proverbs 31.

We dripped our way to the bathroom. I decided it would probably be best for us both to just hose off. I sat Sam down momentarily to start the bathwater and get everything ready, and I look over to find him chewing on a piece of the footboard that apparently wasn't nailed to the wall. Much screaming ensued as I took away his prize. We get in the water, I get him all washed and then - he throws up in the bathtub. Drain the water, start the process again. I get us both washed up - not squeeky clean, but de-puked (I promise we'll both get squeeky clean during out bedtime baths), and as I'm drying him off - he throws up again all over himself and his towel. Cue the bath water one more time. And a clean towel. Third time's a charm!

As I'm quickly trying to lotion him up, Sam does one of his signature leg moves and karate kicks the bottle of lotion on the floor, sending Johnsons squirting all over the carpet. I pick him up and grab a burp cloth to start on an initial clean up when I realized he's not yet diapered and feel something... else... getting on my arm. Lots of sink time and wipes followed.

Since then? Well, lets just say there's been some cleaning going on. There have been a couple more minor puke moments, but nothing a couple more outfits and some wipes couldn't fix. And as a sidenote: Sam does has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, in case you're wondering.

Today, I am praising the Lord for my carpet steam cleaner, my cleaning products (namely the disinfectant sort), and the fact that anything can be cleaned right up. I'm also thankful for a husband and help-mate who will be home this evening. And for Advil. And oh yes, I am so thankful for my Sam who, no matter what kind of messes he might make, brings me more joy in a day than I could have ever imagined.

Sam, finally all cleaned up this afternoon.

Yeah, I'd still say it was a pretty good day. How could you not when you have a precious face like that staring back at you? Motherhood is something.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-05-25T08:19:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Things have been pretty busy around here! Our house is officially on the market now, and the past couple of weekends have been filled with open houses, and the in-between time has been spent getting the house ready to show, running errands, and taking care of a little guy who hasn't been feeling so well. We've had a few rought nights this week, but I think he's starting to get better.

Getting the house in "show" condition has been something. I find myself vacuuming about 14 times a day (does anyone else hate the footprint marks in freshly vacuumed carpet? it defeats the purpose!), and saying things like 'Don't use that dish scrubber, it's just for show beside the sink!' and 'You can only wash your hands in the left master bathroom sink' and 'If you're looking for the laundry, it's stuffed under our bed'. I've been a real joy lately.

Hopefully I'll get back to some real posting soon!

I Got My Hair Did

2009-05-17T16:18:00.002-05:00

This really isn't newsworthy, except that I honestly only get my hair cut about every year or two so for me, it's kind of a big deal. And for the first time in my life, I had my hair both cut AND highlighted AT THE SALON.

And I liked it.

I doubt I can be suckered into good self grooming habits and actually have it done every 6-8 weeks like they always tell me normal people do, but I may spring for every 6 months. Am I becoming too big for my britches?

As soon as I can get my hubby to stop reading his newest series of fantasy books (this is an ELEVEN book series, people!), I'll have him take a pic to post. I can't for the life of me get a decent shot holding the camera out infront of myself. I have a hard time taking decent shots the normal way. Anyhoo, here's to good haircuts!

A Conversation as Overhead at Sonic

2009-05-14T23:05:00.004-05:00

I love Sonic. One of the greatest gifts I've ever recieved was last Christmas when my Mom gave me a Sonic giftcard and told me - GET THIS - that if she saw it's balance fall below a certain amount, she would refill it. Do I have the greatest Mom in the world or what? Needless to say, I go to Sonic a lot, and think of my Mom a lot :)

Anyway, so I was yet again at Sonic getting me some happy hour, and this is what I overheard in the van next to me:

[Sweet older lady to the Sonic speaker]: Hi. Uh, you all have wireless?

[Sonic employee]: I'm sorry ma'am, can you repeat that?

[Lady]: Wireless. My daughter said you all would have wireless here so I can get my granddaughters pictures.

long pause

[Sonic]: Are you looking for wireless internet?

[Lady]: Well, she said it would come through on the email.

[Sonic]: Ok, I think you're looking for wireless internet and I'm sorry, we don't have that here.

[Lady]: Oh I'm sorry, she said you would. (looking around) This isn't the Starbucks?

[Sonic]: No ma'am, this is Sonic. But there's a Starbucks right up the road.

long pause as the sweet older lady looks intently at all the signs

[Lady]: Well shoot, give me a cherry limeade.

Y'all. I sat in my car and laughed so hard that I about had vanilla rootbeer coming out my nose. Thank the Lord for tinted windows. How anyone confuses Sonic for Starbucks I have no idea, but boy do I hope someone helped that sweet lady get the pictures of her granddaughter off of her email.

Oh. My. Word.

2009-05-14T20:39:00.003-05:00

Ok, I won't ramble on about the entire show again this week (even though I could), but I just can't not flip out a little bit about 'The Office'.

I mean, Pam - pregnant?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all I have to say.

I Can't Think of Anything Sweeter on Mother's Day

2009-05-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

Happy belated Mother's Day, all you Moms! Do we have the best, sweetest, toughest job in the world or what?

I was so blessed to get to spend Mother's Day with my Mom and Mother in law - two amazing women and awesome Moms. I'm so thankful for a wonderful Mom who truly sacrificed and poured herself out for her children. Isn't it so true what they say about not being able to truly appreciate your parents until you have children? I really feel that if I can be half of what she is to me for Sam, I will be doing well. I'm so thankful for the gift she is to me.

It was baby dedication day at our church on Sunday. Sam got his name from the passage in 1 Samuel 1, when Hannah cried out to the Lord for a child, and He answered. The name Samuel means "heard of God" or "gift from God". Our Sam could not have a more fitting name. He truly is our gift from God. It was really special to be able to dedicate him back to the Lord on Mother's day.

(This was another time that I wasn't good about taking pictures. This pic was taken by my parents, who were trying to not be intrusive and use the flash, so the pics were a little blurry. That and Sam was bouncing around so much, he was bound to be a blur in any picture. Oh, and this was taken just moments before he spit up all over the floor in front of the whole church. The boy loves an audience!)

I know that Mother's Day is a time to honor your Mom, and I love that aspect of it, but it sure took on a whole new meaning for me this year. I'm sure that in years to come I will enjoy getting the little Mother's Day gifts that kids make, like a colored picture or a heart cut out of construction paper (shoot, if he gave me a used kleenex I would love it, as long as it was his), but I think overall, the joy of Mother's Day to me is just the honor of being a Mom. This year it really provided me with a great opportunity to reflect on that privilege, thank God for it, and fall on my face before Him to ask for guidance and wisdom in this most awesome task.

Cafe Disco

2009-05-08T09:18:00.003-05:00

This post is really just for 'Office' fans. Heck, if I'm honest with myself, it's probably really just for me. When it comes to 'The Office', I'm die-hard, so this may bore everyone but myself but it's my blog and I can do what I want, right? :)

First off, Michael Scott dancing makes any episode golden. I so needed the good laugh it gave me.

Also - Jim & Pam? SO sweet! But can I just say that I'm really glad they're opting for a real wedding instead? I think we all want to see the full-blown, sappy, make-us-tear-up wedding where Michael butts in and somehow makes everything super akward.

I can't say that I get the whole Dwight as the massage therapist/natural remedy healer thing with Phyllis. He seems to have changed in the last few episodes, and I'm really longing for some old, classic Dwight. I think we need another episode on Schrute farms or something. However they do it, I want him back.

While this one wasn't my favorite, I do think it had some great Michael moments. I loved the dancing, the 'I'm a giant, look how tiny this coffee mug looks next to me' part, and the giddy little-boy Michael when Cafe Disco took off.

What did ya'll think?

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2009-05-05T22:15:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been raining here for about 4 or 5 days straight now, and it doesn't look like it will be letting up anytime soon. When you have a lot of outside work to do, 4 or 5 days seems like 3 months. Mike and I have been working to get our house ready to go on the market, and the rain's not doing us any favors. On the flip side, it has forced us to stay inside to play, and that's not always a bad thing...

Learning to play ball with Sneaker

Cuddling and listening to Dad play guitar (I love this pic! He just layed like this, staring intently - so sweet.)

Dumping all my toys and chewing on the basket

Having a play-date with friends

We are starting to get cabin fever though, and I'm anxious to get out to the park as soon as the rain lets up. In the meantime, I'll probably be reading "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" for the eight billionth time. We do love you around here, Dr. Seuss.

8 Months

2009-04-29T07:25:00.012-05:00

Sam just turned 8 months old. I can't believe how quickly the time flies! I think this stage is my favorite one yet. He's showing more affection these days, giving me lots of sloppy kisses and tight neck hugs, and showing off more of those sweet smiles and laughs. It's just the best.

He's also started "army crawling". It's so funny, and it wears me out just watching him. That does not look easy! His favorite thing right now is bath time. Since he's graduated to just the big tub, he has much more freedom to splash around. It's such a blast!

Last night we had a photo session at the park with our awesome photographer friend Mary Morrow, who also did his newborn session (see my blog header). If you're in the OKC area, you should definitely check her out. You can follow this link to her photography blog, where she's posted a couple of pics from our session last night. Is he the cutest?! And he has an ear infection right now, poor thing, so I was especially impressed with how well he did.

Also, Sam's new house is coming along! Here's a pic from yesterday. I doubt much will get done today, what with the monsoon rain, but we've been excited with the progress.

See Sam Swing

2009-04-24T16:08:00.004-05:00

I took Sam to the park this week to try out the baby swings. I think he really liked it, although he doesn't look super enthused in the pictures. Either way, he was definitely the cutest baby at the park ;)

This was at a great park that's just a stone's throw from where our new neighborhood will be. I have a feeling we'll be frequenting this place quite a bit! Speaking of the new house - a quick update - our slab is done, and they're supposed to be framing today. I could post a picture, but it just looks like a big pad of concrete and tubes and sand right now... which it is, but it's going pretty quickly right now so we're excited!

A Few Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom

2009-04-20T19:10:00.007-05:00

I've only been a Mom for 7 1/2 months or so now, but in that short time, I've learned many things. Here are just a few....

* Pureed green beans, when left to dry, could be used as a great substitute for cement.

* Bibs should be securely fashioned to a child's neck before sitting them up after dressing them - if you fail to do this, the child will, without exception, spit up down the full length of their fresh, clean outfit.

* It is futile to try to keep your shirt free from spit up and other unmentionables. Just embrace the splotched look for this season.

* Children, especially little boys, will have a runny nose until they are at least 8 years old.

* Much destruction can be accomplished in that 2 minute time frame that you run to turn on the dishwasher, even by a not-yet "mobile" child. Much.

* Cheerios are the greatest thing on the face of the planet.

* Baby feet naturally repel socks. There's no keeping those suckers on.

* Boys are boys from the very beginning. Remotes, cell phones, and other gadgets top the favorites list.

* There is no equal to having your child smile at you. It will melt even the most stone cold heart.

* Once your baby has laughed, you will spend the majority of your day trying to coax it out again.

* That little body cuddling up against you is the best feeling in the world.

* Watching your baby splash and play in the bathtub becomes your favorite entertainment.

* Motherhood is probably the hardest, most wonderful and tenderly miraculous gift God gives us.

And here are some recent pics of my little miracle!

Playing with Grandpa Pruitt and the beloved remote

With Mom

With Great-Granddad Thurlkill

In the sun hat :)

Hanging with Dad

A Nephew on the Way!

2009-04-15T12:22:00.001-05:00

My sweet sister is expecting, due in September, and she just found out a few days ago that she’s expecting a BOY! I’m so excited! Of course, I would have been ecstatic about a girl too – we already had the girlie nursery stuff figured out, but hey, boy nurseries are fun too! I’m thrilled that Sam will have a cousin and playmate so close in age. I see a friendship in the works!

Congrats, Christina (and oh yeah, Brandon too :)). I love you so much!

Uncle Jeff

2009-04-12T15:10:00.001-05:00

On my way home from the Ladies’ Retreat last Saturday, I learned that my Uncle Jeff had passed away earlier that afternoon. He had been sick for about a year now with cancer, but I don’t think you’re ever really prepared to get news like that. Uncle Jeff was my Mom’s younger brother. He was only 49 years old.

Jeff was one of those people that was the life of the party and just lit up the room. He was always cracking jokes or tickling one of the kids to death, or just cutting up. His laugh was contagious. He absolutely loved babies and children and could get them to smile and laugh like no one else I’ve ever known. I’m so thankful that he got to meet Sam over Thanksgiving. Beneath it all, he was so sweet and tender hearted… truly a good man.

Mike and I left early on Monday to go to Arkansas for his funeral. I’m so grateful that we got to be there to see family, and to say goodbye. It was obvious that he was very well loved by the amount of people that came by for visitation on Monday evening, and then the crowd that showed up for the funeral. He certainly made an impact on everyone he met.

Uncle Jeff, I love you so much and you are missed so dearly. Thank you for being such a bright spot in my life and the lives of so many. I look forward to seeing you again one day, and until then, keep laughing and making everyone else up there do the same.

Oklahoma Ladies' Retreat (plus 2 Pruitt men)

2009-04-05T21:55:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure to hostess Liz Curtis Higgs this past weekend at the Oklahoma Ladies’ Retreat. She was the keynote speaker this year. If you haven’t heard her speak or read any of her books before, I highly recommend that you check her out. She’s amazing – one of my absolute favorites.

They were generous enough to also allow Mike to come along and bring Sam, too, even though babies are usually not allowed at the retreat… special perks when you’re a former employee, I guess! It was a really good time. I got to actually talk one on one with Liz quite a bit, and that was amazing. I also just helped out in general where I was needed. It was a lot of work, but not near the amount it was for me in years past!

Blogging is going to help push me remember to take pictures. I looked through my camera after I got home to see which pictures from the weekend I should post and literally, these are the only three pictures we snapped while we were there:

The first is proof that I took my responsibilities very seriously while I was there. The second just happens to be a good picture of the only 2 guys there that weekend, and the third…. I have no words. I’ve always thought the lamps in the Falls Creek hotel rooms are hideous and kind of humorous, so for some reason I decided to snap a picture. That’s right, I got a picture of the hideously funny lamp, but not a single shot of me with Liz Curtis Higgs, or anything to do with the actual conference. I’m retarded.

Being there brought back a lot of memories from the retreat last year. Many of you may not know, but during last year’s retreat I was still working in the women’s office and I was 5 months pregnant with Sam. Just a few hours before the women started to arrive on the grounds, I was still working on set-up when I started bleeding. They took me to a hospital in a nearby town. I called Mike in tears and he immediately left work to come and be with me. We were so scared. I couldn’t help but wonder if we were going to lose Sam. It made me all the more grateful to be back there again this year with my healthy baby boy in tow. Boy, is God good!

T.V. Thursday Disappointment

2009-04-02T21:48:00.005-05:00

I just have to say how disappointed I am that there wasn't a new 'Office' on tonight. I look forward to 8:00 Thursday nights ALL week. Does anyone else out there watch The Office? If not, you're sincerely missing out. If you do - what the SAM HILL is going to happen? What's going to become of Michael, and what in the world is Pam thinking?

Mike just informed me that there will be 2 new episodes on next week. You're redeemed, NBC!

Now I'm off to pack for the Oklahoma Ladies' Retreat... I'm leaving at the crack of dawn to get down there and hostess Liz Curtis Higgs for the weekend, and help out where I can. It's going to be great!

Sweet Moments with My Sweet Sam

2009-04-01T15:41:00.002-05:00

Today I had one of those moments where I just wept. I’ve discovered that this isn’t unusual in motherhood – sometimes for sweet reasons, sometimes from overwhelmed feelings, sometimes from just sheer exhaustion. Today it was oh so sweet.

It was naptime for Sam, and I’ve been trying to teach him to fall asleep on his own. He’s been doing pretty well at it for night-time, but he’s still pretty dependant on me rocking him to sleep for naps. I did the usual routine in getting things ready for naptime, then wrapped him in his soft blanket, gave him his pacifier, and sat down in the rocking chair with him cuddled in my arms. He’s gotten to the point where he likes to squirm and crane his neck to look all around the room while I try to stay patient and get him to the sleepy stage. But. This time he was tired enough that he just snuggled up close to me and just stared up at me with his clear blue eyes.

We had the sweetest moments together, just staring at each other, snuggling, and silently communicating ‘I love you’. It was so sweet that I just cried and thanked God for him. And I didn’t want to put him down. So just for today, I think I’ll rock him and hold him while he sleeps. Thank you, Lord.

Going Green Part II

2009-04-01T09:37:00.003-05:00

A couple of quick things before I start: First off, none of this is rocket science, and a lot of you probably already do this stuff (in fact, you may have given me the idea). These aren’t really new ideas, I just thought it would be fun to share what we’re doing. Also, I wanted to clear up a mistake I posted in the last Going Green entry. If you’d like to make the orange vinegar, it’s actually 3 cups of vinegar to 1 orange peel… sorry about that. Of course, you could use any amount you want for a stronger or lighter scent. Another note about the vinegar cleaner is that it also can be used on wooden furniture, so I use it for dusting too. It really is all-purpose! I’d recommend testing it on your furniture first in an inconspicuous area to make sure your finish won’t be harmed. I don’t want to start getting hate comments or something…

One easy change I’ve made is that I try to save the glass jars from food that we buy, and sometimes the plastic containers that I think I might re-use. I try not to go overboard and become a total pack-rat, but there are a million things you can use old containers like these for. Just a couple of ways we use them are for storing leftovers or home-made food, or the jars can even be used for packaging a homemade gift of hot cocoa mix or soup mix, wrapped up with a pretty ribbon and a cute card attached. You can even use some craft paint to paint something cute on the lid, and cover up the not-so-cute ‘Preggo’ label. Anyway – I’m venturing into crafts already so I’d better move on.

I’ve also been trying to cut down on the amount of disposable paper products that we use, especially paper towels. I still buy them, because there are some things you just need a paper towel for, like draining bacon or fried chicken (anyone have some suggestions for healthy eating?), but I have found that I actually prefer using old washcloths for most of the little clean-ups and spills I used to use paper towels for. We’ve also been trying to really recycle everything we get that can be recycled. There’s a whole lot more than you might think!

To be honest, these next two things were started not so much out of the valiant effort to be green, but just to save some cash. First off, if you’ve got kids, you’ve got to check out the jbf sales in your area! You can find their website here. It’s basically a city-wide consignment sale for ALL baby and kid stuff you could possibly imagine. You can find some incredible deals at these places and hey, reduce-reuse-recycle, right?

Finally, I make Sam’s baby food. It’s so easy, so economical, and good for him too. I just buy some veggies or fruit, organic when I can find them, then steam and puree them. When it’s the right consistency (you can add some water if needed), I just pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it, then pop it out and keep it in freezer bags. Each cube is about a 1 oz serving and it’s really convenient. At mealtime I just microwave however much he needs. Usually I mix it with a little bit of cereal, or it’s perfectly good by itself too.

Ok, that’s all for now! Best of luck on your green quest!

The Incredible Sitting Sam

2009-03-31T13:04:00.005-05:00

So, I do plan on posting a Part II to ‘Going Green’, but in the meantime I have to give this quick update on Sam because I’m just so happy about it. He’s officially sitting up really well! He’s been sitting up for awhile, but in the super wobbly face planting sort of way. He’s still slightly unstable (I blame it on the chub), but he’s doing great! I’m really excited about this. Every little milestone is like a surprise party in our house – it’s great.

Last week we bought Sam an exersaucer and a bigger car seat. The need for more space is becoming increasingly apparent with each new gizmo. I mean, look at the size of this thing!

But it’s worth it because Sam really enjoys it, and I enjoy the few minutes of peace of mind it gives me – knowing I can run and put the laundry in the dryer and not come back to find that he’s made his way over to the tv and pulled all of the DVDs off of the shelves. The child amazes me in his ability to get places whilst not yet crawling, and at lightning speed. He could be an Olympic roller-around-er, no doubt about it. I know the mobile days of crawling and walking are just around the corner and I ain’t seen nothing yet. I'm sure the seasoned Moms out there are chuckling to themselves. So for now, I’m basking in the sitting – both on the floor all by himself, and bound in the ginormous exersaucer.

Going Green (or attempting to) Part I

2009-03-30T15:30:00.005-05:00

I enjoy reading blogs where people share what they’re doing to be green and/or frugal (like passionatehomemaking or frugalgranola) and while I’m nowhere near where these ladies are in their efforts, or as hardcore about it, I thought it might be fun to post a few things we’re doing. Incidentally, my going green attempts are also money-saving options, which is nice these days since everyone can stand to save a little more moolah!

First off, and the thing most people think I’m crazy for, is that we use cloth diapers. Before you’re horrified, you should know that these aren’t your Grandma’s fold and pin cloth diapers. They’re actually very much like disposables except that you wash them. We use bumGenius one-size cloth diapers. You can check them out here. They have a snap system that allows them to grow with your child. They’re supposed to last all the way up through potty-training. Since Sam is, as my Mom lovingly refers to him, our little giant baby, he may outgrow them before he’s to the potty training stage, but I’m hoping they’ll get us close. We really love them. Mike even likes them, and it took some major convincing to get him to go for it. I think Sam looks super cute in them, too!

I also use cloth wipes. This is much easier than it sounds. I have a wipes warmer that I fill up halfway with my wipes solution (just a squirt of baby wash, a tiny bit of Burt’s Bees apricot baby oil, and a drop or two of tea tree oil, all mixed with warm water) and then I put a stack of folded baby washcloths in and let them soak up the mixture. The warmer keeps them nice and fresh and warm. I like to think Sam appreciates it! :) This really is easier for me than using disposable wipes because I can just throw everything into my diaper pail and wash it together, rather than having to separately trash the wipe and put the diaper in a different container.

Since this post is already getting long, I’ll just mention one other thing. I’ve been trying my hand at making my own “green” cleaning products. Plain old distilled white vinegar is a great cleaning product because it is a natural disinfectant. You can use it full strength for tough jobs, or dilute it with water for everyday clean-ups. The smell can be pretty strong, though. One thing I’ve tried that works well is to place the peel from an orange in a jar with vinegar (about a cup and a half per orange peel) and leave it in your pantry for a couple of weeks, giving it an occasional shake. Then, after 2 weeks or so, just strain the vinegar out into a jar and you’ve got orange infused vinegar that smells pretty good. I dilute this about half and half with water in a spray bottle and use it for most of my cleaning. There’s still a slight vinegar smell while you use it, but that smell dissipates as it dries and you’re left with a fresh orange scent. You can also use lemon peel, or combine the two. I’ve also been trying out some other cleaning product recipes, and I’ll update you with ones I wind up liking (if anyone is interested, that is!).

I’d love to hear your ideas for being green and frugal!

The First Days of Spring in Oklahoma

2009-03-28T22:07:00.002-05:00

You know you live in Oklahoma when the beginning of Spring weather is beautiful, sunny and warm, and the next day there is snow on the ground. We didn’t have a whole lot stick here by our house, but not far away there was as much as 6 inches on the ground!

Because we were mainly stuck inside this weekend, we decided to make the most of it and start some packing. It’s always amazing to me how much stuff we accumulate. We ended up finding lots of old pictures and some letters that Mike and I wrote to each other back when we were dating. It was fun to be reminded of those times and how they got us to where we are today. And how our hair is so much better now. And our eyebrows… but I should only speak for myself.

On a random note, we also rented ‘Twilight’ this weekend. Any of you seen that? I guess my expectations were too high for the movie. I was expecting more of an epic type film but it seemed more cheesy and over-dramatically acted to me… what did you guys think? Maybe I’m just too harsh a critic. In any case, I’m sure the books are better.

Another random thing - per Mel's request (and because I think any blog is way more interesting with some type of picture) - here are a couple of current pics of me and Mike. Honest to goodness, these are the only current pics I can find of either of us because we only take pictures of Sam these days. And I couldn't find ANY pictures of the two of us together. I'm going to have to work on getting better pictures for updating!

I hope ya’ll are enjoying the beginning of Springtime!

Here We Go!

2009-03-27T08:59:00.000-05:00

I'm totally giving in to the blogging pressure! A lot of my friends and family are doing it, and I love keeping up with what's going on in their lives this way, so I figured I could try my hand at it. I'm pretty bad about updating things like myspace or webshots, but I am hoping that this will provide an easier, better all around format for little updates. Here's hoping!

A quick update on us:

Sam just turned 7 months old. I can't believe how quickly it has gone! Lord be praised, he is pretty much sleeping through the night now and in turn, his Momma is regaining some semblance of sanity. He's also been eating "solid" food for a few weeks now, and it is a big heap of fun and mess. We've started him on some green veggies. He'll eat it, but he's not a fan. Clearly, he takes after me.

For good measure, and to show how cute and sweet he really is, I'll go ahead and post this pic too. Is he handsome or what?

I am loving staying home with Sam. It is an absolute joy. A lot of work - harder than any other job I've ever had - but wonderful. I'm trying to soak in these 'baby days', because I'm already seeing how fast the time flies when they are little. I'm so grateful for a husband who is on board with me and supportive of me staying home with him. I am so blessed! Speaking of awesome husbands - Mike is doing well. He's still with MidFirst and his job is going well these days. He's also leading worship at the church on Wednesday nights and we lead a small group on Sunday nights, which we love. He stays pretty busy!

One other thing of note for my first "quick" update - we just signed the papers a few weeks ago to build a new house. We LOVE our current home, and I will probably cry when we leave (and have a sit-down talk with the buyers that they'd better treat her well or else..), but we are just plain running out of space and through much prayer, we think it's the right time to move on. So take heart, friends and family! When you come to visit in a few months, you might just have room to put your bag down AND have walking room to your bed. If you think that's fancy, you might also have a place to hang a shirt or two in the closet and not worry about all of the Christmas ornaments and piles of old college books collapsing on them. Woohoo!