What do YOU do during naptime?

The time has come!! It's an extremely exciting day for Mommy & Sprout!! After much deliberation and consulting with my most fabulous older sister about the deletion of the dreaded morning nap, today was the day to start cutting it out! Let me share how my incredible experience has gone thus far (and it's already 1:00pm!)...

'N' is for NO NAP!

I have conversed with a bazillion other moms about when, where, why, and most importantly, HOW, to cut out the morning nap. I got a flurry of differing opinions and advice: "Let them decide when it's time to cut it out...", "Start waking them up sooner and sooner until they don't need a nap anymore...", "Push back the start time of the nap and wake them up when it's time to eat lunch...", and so on and so forth. Unfortunately, all of these seemed like horrible options for Sprout, who really just got crabby around 10-10:30 ish and appeared to desperately cling to that nap. Then I consulted with my sister, A, who is a dayhome QUEEN and mother of her own to two gorgeous kidlets. Her advice was the only advice that made sense to me.

"Have a strict rest-time established where the child lays down on the couch (with or without you) with a drink (milk, formula, whatever - in a cup) and watches a show for a half hour or so, just to re-charge. Then have lunch about an hour later and put them down for their nap shortly thereafter."

Wow. Why didn't I think of that!? So here's how today's schedule went (so far):

8:00am - Wake up!

8:15am - Breakfast

10:30am - Rest time with 4oz of formula in a cup. Sprout laid on the couch with me under a blanket and snuggled while watching 40 minutes of 'Finding Nemo'. Awesome! I got to cuddle her without rocking her to sleep and disrupting her sleep schedule!

11:45am - Lunch (which Sprout promptly laid her head down on her tray afterwards and said 'bye bye', which translates to 'night night' when she's tired)

12:00pm - NAPTIME!!!

Like I said, it's now well after 1:00pm and she is still sleeping!! We've also just been putting her straight to bed - no cuddle, no rocking, nothing - and she has been going to sleep like a champ on her own. She whimpered a little for the first day, and now it's day 4 and she doesn't even care! She snuggles her Monster, cuddles into her blankets, and goes to sleep after about 10 minutes. It is absolutely incredible!

Part of me still feels guilty and wants to rock her to sleep and keep giving her a bottle. It's so hard to let go of that with your first baby. Especially now being pregnant, I know I'm not going to be able to snuggle her the same way for long, and that she's going to have to be the big sister about 5 months from now...I was definitely trying to hold onto the 'baby phase'. I guess what she is telling me today is that she is indeed moving into 'toddler' mode, and she is completely fine with it. Sigh. I love my Sprout. And my Seedling. It makes me so excited to have another tiny one to snuggle for another year!

Anyways, there's my advice for you to follow for how to delete the morning nap and bottle. If you're lucky like me and have an easygoing child, it might just fall into place like it seems to have for us! Now to work on the soother...

Love you so much, Sprout! You're such a big girl, Mommy is so proud of you! Keep up the good work...Santa is watching :)

xoxoxo

Mommy

Multipara.

Anyone know what the title of this blog means? I learned a whole multitude of medical terminology pertaining to pregnancy during my massage training - especially when I did further education to specialize in pre and post natal massage. Multipara means a woman who has had multiple pregnancies. Any guesses what today's blog is about?

'M' is for Miscarriages and Multiples

Oh boy. If you've been following my blog, you will have read in the first few about the miscarriage that I had before conceiving and having Sprout. It was a crazy event, and it all took place over the Christmas holidays in 2008 (Sprout was conceived in March of 2009). I won't go into too many details right now, but it was one of the most difficult things I have gone through. There are too many emotions to describe. The one that always comes back to me is how I just wanted them to do the surgery before Christmas because I didn't know how to survive for that extra week knowing I had a dead baby inside of me. It was a horrible feeling. I felt so guilty for wanting it all to be over, but my body was still so very convinced that I was pregnant that I was starting to show, and still feeling sick. Looking back, I probably felt so sick between weeks 6 and 12 because the baby had already died. I say baby, some say embryo. Either way, I know there was a beating heart in there before it died - we had an ultrasound and the baby had a slow-ish heart rate, but they said it isn't that uncommon and can pick up later on. Not the case with us. We were so incredibly blessed to become pregnant so quickly afterwards with Sprout, and that I had a fairly healthy and uneventful pregnancy.

Reflecting now, my pregnancy was really awesome up until I had pretty severe muscle tearing and separation that left me bruised internally and externally along my ribcage on both sides, and down the middle of my already-swollen abdomen. That was at around 25-26 weeks, and I had to go off on modified bedrest (which SUCKED). I ate way too much Haagen Dazs, and got reeeeeally big. Like, bigger than necessary big. Thank goodness I have a decent metabolism, because I dropped the 45-50lbs I gained during pregnancy plus another 10lbs that was still extra from the previous pregnancy that miscarried.

Why am I talking so much about pregnancy again, and not about Sprout and her crazy one-year birthday party? I'll talk about the party when we get to 'P'. Don't get thinking you're all psychic on me now and guess that 'Multiples' means I am having twins...

Multiples simply refers to the fact that WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!! I am so excited to announce that our little Seedling (aka Baby #2) is due June 6th, 2011!! We weren't quite expecting to conceive as quickly as we did this time - after all, the pregnancy before Sprout took a year to conceive, and then it was the FIRST try with Sprout, so we figured it would average out around 4-6 months to conceive this time. We couldn't be that lucky again, right? Wrong!!!! So Sprout and Seedling will be 18.5 months apart, which in my mind will be awesome. I am so looking forward to having a second baby in the summertime! Sprout can still have pool parties, we can go for walks with the pooch, and have fun friend play dates outside. That, and I won't have to bundle up a newborn and a toddler to go out in -30 weather for 6 months.

Don't think I'm a total moron - I know it is going to be a challenge, but I am absolutely up for it. I can't imagine anything better than Sprout having a sibling so close in age. I hope that they grow up to be friends, and not the opposite. Part of me is secretly hoping that I am having another girl, just so she could have a really close sister. On the other hand, I don't know if I would feel like I was done having kids if I had another girl...I don't think I would feel like my family was quite complete without a little boy. Ahhh. Either way, I am so happy to be pregnant again.

Has it been easy? NO!!!! What happened to the pregnancy where I just stuffed my face for 9 months and only spewed once!? I have been vomiting at least twice daily up until the last few weeks, and I have been taking Diclectin, wearing Sea Bands, etc. They all help, just not enough that they completely prevent me from throwing up morning, noon, and night. That's the other thing - it's been ALL DAY sickness, and all night too. It's hard enough to get enough rest without waking up feeling nauseated at 2:30 in the morning when I have to get up to pee. Anyways, enough complaining.

We've been for 2 ultrasounds already (just precautionary due to previous complications, etc.), and I have been on a strict regimen of Prometrium (progesterone), Baby Aspirin (until 34 weeks), and my wonder-drug-Diclectin. Everything looks fantastic so far, and Seedling is super active already! I have a doppler at home and have been checking the heartbeat daily, and it has been exactly what Sprout's was at this stage: between 165-175. Usually it sits at 167/168. It makes me wonder how different two pregnancies could be with two girls, or if the differences this time really do indicate that I am, indeed, having a boy. Ultrasound on Jan 10th, and then we'll see (but we're NOT sharing!). All I will say is the names are chosen, and if I have my way, I WILL be sharing them with friends and family, because I know WAY too many people who are due in May and June 2011, and I don't want anyone poaching my names! My husband is far too picky - I don't know what I would do if our names got 'stolen' just before we had Seedling. Ha. Maybe Seedling would just have to stick!

I'll keep you all updated on how things are going, and any twists and turns this rollercoaster takes over the next 5 1/2 months! Look out, Sprout!! You're going to have to take on the role of BIG SISTER soon! I know you'll be ready for it, and that you will give your new sibling more love than even we can imagine right now. You already give Mommy's baby hugs and kisses, and point Seedling out when I ask you where Mommy's baby is - that is, after you point to yourself and sign 'baby'. You will always be Mommy's first baby girl, and I will love you forever, and never any less once Seedling arrives. My love for all of our family will just keep growing and growing as you grow and grow too. Sleep tight, my little Sprout.

You too, Seedling.

xoxo

Mommy

Kiss Kiss. Love Love.

I'm skipping the letter 'K'. Kind of. I've been so busy getting things ready for Sprout's first birthday party that blogging has been left in the confetti dust and sprinkle fragments in my kitchen. Just a quick little note that begins with 'K'.

Kiss Kiss

Sprout gives the most adorable, slobbery kisses ever, and the one trick that she performs on a fairly regular basis that makes my heart just leap is blowing kisses. When she does it, it is a wholehearted kiss, sound ("MMMWAH!") included. Absolutely priceless, and so sweet.

L.O.V.E.

Sigh. The big 1 is almost here, and I can already feel the anxiety creeping up the back of my shoulders and spine. It is such a bittersweet occasion. On one hand, I am so incredibly proud of her achievements in her first year. She says so many words now that I have completely lost count, and everything that I say to her, she REALLY tries to repeat back to me. She's a little parrot who tries to copy absolutely everything you do. So cute. She has taken one or two steps here and there, but is still a little chicken when it comes to walking - that's totally fine with me! The fact that she can communicate what she wants the majority of the time makes my life so much easier. Walking will just complicate things! Sprout can wait as long as she wants to walk. And run. And fall into things. And scrape her little knees. Sigh. They get too big too quickly. That's the other side of things.

I am so amazed that in the last two years, I have conceived a child, gone through a pregnancy, and raised a beautiful little girl up through her first year of life. Wow. Where does the time go? Really, I'd like to know! I am so proud of her, but there are moments where I just want to freeze time and stay there a little while longer. The nights where I spoil her just a little bit and let her fall asleep on my shoulder in the rocking chair are extremely selfish. I just love feeling the weight of her sleeping body pressed against my chest; the little rise and fall of her back as she breathes deeply; the little sighs she lets out as she falls into a deep, restful slumber. There is nothing more peaceful and angelic than a sleeping child. And as big as she is, as many words as she can say, as much as she is becoming more toddler than baby, when she is asleep with those long dark lashes fringing on her cheeks, she is my baby girl. She is still one hour old, snoozing gracefully on my chest, smelling so sweet and new. I understand now how parents, especially mothers, have a hard time watching their kids grow up and become adults. How am I possibly going to handle letting her go off to college, or travel the world without me? How in the world will I allow her to get her heart broken for the first time? That overprotectiveness we all absolutely hate our mothers for during those pivotal teenage years? I get it now. You just want to protect them forever, and hang onto those sweet childhood and baby moments.

I am treasuring this last week of non-toddler Sprout. Every minute, every second, every hour, every day. She's getting spoiled with lots of snuggles. Once that one year mark passes, it's gone. Bittersweet, like I said. On the up side, her party is going to be spectacular! SO many people are coming, it will be a bit of a crazy event, but she is so lucky to have that many people that love her.

Enjoy this week, Sprout. Know that Mommy loves you more than anything in the entire world, and that I am so thankful and blessed to have you in my life. Even when I tell you to stay out of the dog water dish, I still love you. Remember that.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Jumpin' Jellyfish!

Brrrrrr! I stepped out my back door this morning with one toe to yell at my yappy pooch and was completely caught off-guard by the frosty chill in the air! Not that I should be...it IS already the 18th of October. Sprout is 11 months old today. So hard to believe. I look back at pictures of myself pregnant, and it seems so surreal already. Was I really that big? Sigh. One more month until her BIG birthday party! We've rented a hall. Our families are huge, and we have people coming in from out of town, so I figured it would be best to just have a super gigantic party - especially for her first one.

This blog will be a short one today, just because I'm venting about something I don't really want to spend much time on.

'J' is for Jealousy

**By the way, if you know where the title for this blog came from, I will give you 500 points. I don't know what you could redeem those points for...maybe a hug?**

We have a dog. I know that I have mentioned her before, in a previous post where I discussed when we got rid of our other, bigger dog. Thus far, I really haven't been able to complain about Roxy. You couldn't ask for a better dog for Sprout! She lets her roll on her, kiss her, hug her, pull her hair and her tail, and she never growls or anything, just looks at me with this disdainful scowl that seems to say "Really? You're just going to let her do this?". I always respond by saying, "Yes. She is the boss of you." This weekend, however, and lately when we have had other people over, we've had a bit of a jealousy issue.

My dog is a female, but she is always trying to...well...*ahem*...dominate everything and everyone that takes attention away from her, if you catch my drift. Everyone always asks me why she does it, and it is purely an act of dominance, and jealousy. Gross still - she 'dominated' Sprout's little friend's head a few weeks back, and I was mortified. So we had a house full of people this weekend to celebrate my 25th birthday, and the whole time, Roxy was either getting in everyone's face, shoving her way in front of Sprout, or trying to 'dominate' our guests AND our baby. Unacceptable. I was so mad, I could have tossed her out the front door to fend for herself. I never would, actually, she just drives me bonkers sometimes.

So while she is a good dog, and very good with Sprout, we've got an obvious jealousy issue that needs to be addressed. I will be watching a LOT of Cesar Millan this week to try and get some solutions. Maybe I'll even send an email. Nobody wants a dog 'dominating' their child when they come to visit, or their leg...or arm...or foot. It's ridiculous. I know they have instincts, but seriously. Ew.

Sprout has her second cold, already, only a week after finally shedding the last snot ball from her first cold. I am battling the same thing, but seem to be doing much better than her. She's got the stuffy, runny nose, chest cough, fever, super flushed cheeks, and a rash on her back and down her arms. Thus, I am not spending much time blogging today, as I fear that her nap is going to be fairly short-lived. I hope you have a wonderful day, and that you weren't bored by my puppy rant.

Brace yourself, Sprout. Mommy's coming upstairs armed with Q-Tips, Boogie Wipes, and Tylenol. Let the hog-tie begin.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Ha ha ha ha! Inconceivable!

I fear that this alphabetical theme of mine is moving forwards rather slowly. Therefore, today I will be cheating and doing both 'H' and 'I'.

'H' is for Health

My poor little Sprout got her first real cold about two weeks ago, and as mild as it was, I couldn't help but baby her and feel horrible about the fact that she was sick. As a mother, I think I always wonder if there wasn't something I could have done to prevent an illness, injury, etc. Silly, I know, but I keep thinking..."what if I would have doused the handles of the grocery basket with hand sanitizer?" Her little stuffy nose is what got me the most. Here's my dilemma: I can handle most bodily gross-outs from any baby, child, or adult - it doesn't have to be my own. Vomit, poop, blood, cuts, childbirth...anything goes. The one thing that will drive me to toss my own cookies (or just dry heave with my hand clamped over my mouth) is...*shudder*...SNOT.

That's right. The green, yellow, and white strings of mucous that stream from a child's nose (even my own) in that ever-disgusting number eleven down to their upper lip make me lose my cool. I had to look away every time Sprout sneezed out another snot ball, which made me feel bad, because she didn't like having her nose oozing out boogers either. Or having her nose wiped, for that matter. So began the battle of mother, daughter, snot, and Kleenex. I tried using saline drops and suctioning out her nose, but then she just screamed like I was about to club her over the head with a piano - I'm sure the neighbours would have thought something was up if we continued that. When she had her three daily bottles (nap, nap, bedtime), the sound of her trying to breathe and slurp back her milk was heartbreaking. Thank goodness colds don't last for very long, or else I would have lost my mind.

Now, I know I shouldn't be complaining about Sprout's health, and I'm not, really. It was just the first time that she has ever been sick with something "normal", instead of her allergies or the episode of baby measles a few months ago. I am very fortunate to have a healthy, happy baby, and feel so awful for those who have to deal with days, months, or years of their child's hospitalization, treatments, and testing. I don't know how I would hold up in that kind of a situation. I'm already a sucker when she's not feeling good. The one night, I even went and took her into the spare bedroom to sleep with me because she was awake for hours and couldn't sleep because of her cough and stuffy nose. Poor kid. Anyways, now her cold is just about completely gone. All that is left are the remnants of early morning snot battles characterized by a crusty little nose that, as per usual, she HATES having wiped.

'I' is for Intelligence

Okay, I know I'm a little biased, and I hate to brag here, but...seriously...Sprout is amazingly intelligent. She blows me away every day. At 10.5 months old, here is her list of steady words that she can say (and usually does, on command):

Mama

Dada

Ba Ba (bottle)

Pup-pup (puppy)

Nona (my mother insisted on being called Noni, but Sprout is even smarter when she tries - Nona is Italian for Grandmother!)

Grandpa

Pah (she says Up backwards...)

Num-Num

Banana

Hi

The list could probably go on, I just can't think of any more that she will say on a regular basis. If she points at something and looks at me, I always tell her what it is, and have always told her to look at my lips when I say it. Now, every time I do that, she makes a very concerted effort to say the word herself. It is amazing! I'm sure there are a million kids who talk early, and Sprout won't be walking early or anything, but it makes me so damn proud to see her accomplishments! Not only the talking, but she waves hi and bye, claps, blows kisses, points, shakes her head no (in context), opens and closes her hands when she wants something, and has now started walking around the furniture when she pulls herself up. This year has gone by so fast, I just can't believe all of the changes in the last couple of months, and how much she has grown and learned. Like I said, I don't like to seem like a braggart...but she IS really, really smart!

Alright, now that I've puffed up my little Sprout's teeny ego, I should really go and do some housework. Homemade chicken noodle soup for supper tonight, Sprout. Mama's going to be busy working magic in the kitchen!

xoxoxo

Mommy

Ghouls and Goblins

Yep, you guessed it. This blog is going to be about...ghosts. It's not a spooky *oooh* ghost kind of blog, even though Hallowe'en is coming up in a month or so. (Speaking of which, Sprout is being a DRAGON - can't wait to post photos!!)

I'll have to go back a little ways and start at the beginning. My first funeral that I ever attended was that of my Great-Grandmother (on my Mom's side). She was an amazing woman, and incredible writer. I give her full credit for sparking my love for poetry. We used to go and visit her - she lived in an assisted care facility in Camrose - and she would give me advice about writing and let me rifle through her written work. When she passed away, I was asked if I would write a poem and read it at her service. At the ripe old age of 13, I thought it would be a wonderful way to pay tribute to her. I remember not wavering at all in my voice, but being frozen to the floor staring down at the small-ish wooden box that she was inside at the front of the church. I didn't look up the entire time that I read. At the internment, there was a moment of quiet awe as the sun came out from behind a cloud, and a flock of small birds burst forth from a tree close by the gravesite. Was it her? Was it God? Who knows? But it was really incredible.

After that day, I began to have dreams about her, and not just a foggy dream. Vivid ones, where I could feel touch, smell things, taste food, etc. She would ask me questions about our family, and continue to give me advice on my writing. I have a very large imagination, and at the time I just thought it was my subconscious way of expressing that I missed having her around to visit and talk to. Lately though, I have begun to think otherwise.

In January of 2009, my Grandfather (also on my Mom's side) passed away after a very brief battle with lung cancer. It was extremely hard on our entire family. He always seemed like this big, strong rock that held everyone together, and to see him crumble and wither over such a short period of time was something I will never forget. As Sprout was born in November, she got to spend a very short two-month span going back and forth to visit her Great-Grandpa at the palliative care facility where he was admitted. It was amazing to see how much she brightened his days. Each time we would visit, even if she was crabby as a crab, when I laid her beside him to snuggle in his bed, she would quiet down and snuggle into him and go to sleep. It was amazing to watch. He loved her, and she loved him. Like I said before, his passing was very difficult for all of us. I grew up living in my Grandma & Grandpa's house until I was 10 years old, and my sister and I have always been close to both of them. Again, I was asked to write and read something at his service, and I did, but this time, I didn't hold myself together as well.

Nothing crazy happened at the service, and there was no internment, as he was cremated, but I have had numerous dreams about him since he passed. The latest was so vivid and real that I was actually woken up by the fact that I was sobbing in my sleep. Here's how it went: my whole extended family was together, and we were at my Grandma's old house (the one I grew up in), and my Grandpa was there. He came and sat down next to me and was talking to me about Sprout. He told me how beautiful she was, and how much she had grown and changed, and that he was so proud of me as a mother. That was enough to set me off crying, but then he started talking about my cousin, who is due with her first child this year. Up until this point, I think we all said we thought she was having a girl, but his exact words to me were "You know, she's having a boy." And he also informed me that when he was born, I was to make sure that the little guy had a jacket just like the one he was wearing. He had on a denim jacket with a brown corduroy collar on it, and I'm sure it was an actual jacket he owned (confirmed by my Grandma). I hugged him, and I swear I could feel his arms around me, and smell the faint hints of sawdust and vanilla pipe tobacco that were nostalgically familiar. It was at that point that I started to cry in the dream, and woke up absolutely sobbing. My poor husband - at 6:00 in the morning, I don't think he was awake enough to even know what to do! It will be interesting to see if she does, indeed, have a boy. If she does, I'd better start hunting for a jacket like that, or create one somehow.

So the question remains: do I believe in ghosts? Do you? Whatever your beliefs or thoughts, it is comforting to think that those that we miss so fiercely in death find their way back into our lives somehow and continue to watch over us and the ones we love throughout our days. Sprout will undoubtedly not remember her cuddles with her Great-Grandpa, but we have photos and can tell her all about it and what he was like; that it is really too bad that she didn't get to spend more time with him. Maybe he will find his way into her dreams someday. For now, I will just keep my memories alive, and hope that wherever he is, he knows he is still loved.

Let me know if anyone ever visits your dreams, Sprout. Even if it's our brains creating a subconscious fantasy, it still feels pretty incredible.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Frankie? Really?

Oh, the letter 'F'. It could stand for so many things. It reminds me of that commercial they had on a few years back about the Knorr frozen dinners, where they bleeped out the word "frozen" and made it sound like...well...something else. Hilarious. Had me in stitches every single time. The title of this blog refers to the comment my loving husband made when we were talking about girl names back in my giant prego days. I have always LOVED the name Frankie for a girl, but we both decided against it. There weren't any longer names that would shorten to Frankie that either of us really liked. Francesca, Francis, Francine. Nope. None of them seemed right, so we just left Frankie by the wayside. 'F' could stand for fun, facetiousness, fancy, farting (not me, the dog...changed her food lately and she has such bad gas that she lets 'er rip constantly...and audibly..*gag*), flirting, etc. I could go on and on. Today, though, the letter 'F' is for something a little more...friendly...

'F' is for Family

Where would I be without my family? Probably stuck under a rock somewhere with my arms and legs flailing. But seriously now, family is one of the most important things to me, and it is incredible how much more important your own little family unit becomes when you bring a child into the mix. Before Sprout, it was difficult to think of my husband and I as our own family. Family was supposed to be about having everyone together, eating good food (mmm...apple salad...secret family recipe to follow), having good conversation, and watching the kids all run and play (or being a kid and going to play). Now that I have grown up - a little - and started my own family, things sure have changed. Not that my extended family members aren't important, it's just...my husband and Sprout are MY family - the one that will grow outwards from us, now. Strange to think of.

I remember being a little girl and playing with my cousins, never once wondering what life would bring us, or whether we would remain close as adults. Time shifts everything, even family. As we age, we become closer with some and more distant with others. Those large family get-togethers become fewer and farther between, and when they do happen, not everyone is there. We get married (or not), have kids (or not), and eventually become our own family units. Going for Christmas dinner at Grandma's house becomes going for Christmas dinner at my mom's house...who is Sprout's Grandma...weird. The shift is eventual and gradual, and will definitely take some time to get used to, but it is a welcome change. The memories and family bond that I created as a child will become Sprout's with our 'new' family and the changing way our holidays/birthdays/etc. are celebrated.

It makes me feel sadly nostalgic to think about those Christmas Eves spent playing with all of my cousins at my Grandma's house. The smell of turkey, ham, gravy, and sweet potatoes permeating the air. Grandpa whistling carols at the dining room table. Presents piled halfway across the living room because they just didn't fit underneath the tree - well, that one is usually still true on Christmas Day at my mom's house. We have a tendency (as a family) to go overboard. An actual fire roaring in the fireplace. Snowball fights in the back yard. As much as I miss all of it myself, I am so excited to watch Sprout grow and create lasting memories for herself with our 'new' family. She'll have a much smaller one, less cousins, and possibly more chaos with the traveling we have to do to Southern Alberta to visit the in-laws, but it will be what she knows. I think it's always going to be hard, knowing that I had SO many cousins to play with growing up, and that there were waaaaaay too many aunts and uncles crammed into my Grandma's house. Sprout isn't going to have quite the same experience, but I seem to forget that those are MY memories, not hers, and she will grow up (hopefully) to feel the same nostalgic feelings about her own childhood when she has children of her own.

I've never understood those that don't make their family a priority. Family is what you make of it. To be able to look back on your life and say that you were surrounded by loving family & friends is enough of an accomplishment for a single lifetime, don't you think? We all overwork ourselves, strive for more money, less problems, more 'things'. I understand that working is a part of everyday life, without which you can't even support a family, but do we really need all that we 'work for'? Will those 'things' really be worth the time and effort put into them by the end of your life? Think about it sometime. I challenge you to take some time this next month and devote it to your family - extended or otherwise. If you don't have family, devote it to your closest friends. Find out what they are in need of, lend a helping hand, be supportive. Be thankful f0r what you have. I know I am. Even when she's whining, miserable, teething, or otherwise, my little Sprout is still a miracle to me. She is my gift from God that I will never do enough in this lifetime to deserve. She is my family. You will always be my priority, my Sprout. Family always is.

xoxoxo

Mommy

Apple Salad

5-6 Medium-sized apples (Macintosh work well, or Golden Delicious)

2 cups Whipping cream

1 tsp Vanilla (not the fake stuff)

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Confectioner's sugar

Prepare the whipping cream: whip with a stand or hand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and confectioner's sugar. Continue to whip on medium until desired consistency. Core, peel, and dice apples into small chunks. Fold whipping cream into apples. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon & confectioners sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 1 hour).