My heart bursts with happiness and love

Today, I decided to try giving Selah little pieces of cooked frozen waffle (Gluten-free, of course) and she loved it.

Then she reached for the piece in my hand, grabbed it with her thumb and pointer finger, and then put it in her mouth. All by herself with no prompting from mama. Ever.

She's so proud of herself!

My little girl is growing up way, way too fast. The fever has definitely returned (as if we all didn't already know that). :)

Not a little sister

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day, a day to remember our lost babies.


I won't forget that Selah should be a little sister.

I won't forget the weekend of our loss two years ago.

I won't forget the feelings between that loss and Selah's birth.

I won't forget.


I will appreciate the little things.

I will continue to remember that little one and the milestones that should be when I see Selah hit hers.

I will realize (in an odd way) that there would be no Selah if it weren't for that loss. Oh, how I wish I could have both of my babies.

I will keep hugging Selah a little tighter, kissing her a little more often, smelling her sweet baby smell a little longer, more than most parents.


I won't forget the lost and I will keep appreciating the one I have in my arms.

I will adore You

I just love this song. :)

Selah says buy: Top 10 Items for the first 6 months

 In the 6 months Selah has been hanging out with us, we've found a few items that all three of us love and would hate to live without.

1. Baby K'tan

An old picture, but you see how much she likes it.

Yep. I'm a big time babywearer. Selah loves being held close, but I love the use of my hands. That's where the Baby K'Tan comes in. It's WAY WAY WAY easier to use than the Moby, but it holds the baby the same (IMO). We've used a wrap/carrier since her first weeks, but we've pretty much used the K'Tan exclusively since about a month and a half. From newborn until toddler, it will work with a variety of ages, but we can only speak about how fabulous it is until about 6 months. I'll let you guys know in a few months if we are still using it with joy.

2. Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse

This girl loves her seahorse. We've used it since she came home from the hospital and she now knows that, when the seahorse comes on, it's time to sleep. I've even caught her stroking the sea horse's stomach when super sleepy to turn it on. We have it in pink, but you can also get it in blue.

3. Bright Starts chiming car seat toy

She even fell asleep holding it.

Finally! A car seat toy that isn't super annoying! This toy plays a gentle chiming sound that seems to remind everyone of wind chimes. We had this bird that we call a baby angry bird (that has seemingly been discontinued), but SOMEONE broke it while playing with Selah. We went to the store to replace it with another bird, but they only had bugs and butterflies. Selah now has the butterfly.

4. Mudpie doll teether

This thing is a weird pink and green combination of ribbon tags, blanket toy, rattle, teether and doll. Selah loves it. I love that it fits in her hands well and that it's practically a 5-in-1 toy. I'm not sure the best place to get one since SF's was a gift, but if you see one, let me know.

5. Baby Wisp hair clips

Look at that little bow!

I like bows on baby girls, but I'm not a huge fan of everyday ginormous bows on tiny heads. I like to be able to put proportionate sized bows on little baby heads. BUT! Babies don't always have a lot of hair on which to attach bows. That's why I was super happy to find Baby Wisps. No. They aren't little toothbrushes with freshener for baby sized mouths. They are tiny hair bows that use super fancy technology (aka I don't know exactly how to describe how they work) to attach to a few strands of baby hair (without pain). Cute way to make baby girls look like girls.

6. Muslin Swaddle blankets

Semi-swaddled

As a blanket

Muslin blankets were (and are) wonderful during the summer. While Selah was still being swaddled, these were a lightweight blanket that held the swaddle fabulously. I also use them as a blanket for her when we are out and about and it gets too cold inside (hello, air conditioner). These fold up so well that I keep on in the diaper bag at all times. (Side note: Wasn't Selah too cute in those older picture with the blanket??)

7. Teething Bling teething necklace

It's a cute necklace for momma that baby can safely put in their mouth while teething. They come in all sorts of colors, but mine looks like the picture. You can see it on me in the picture under Baby Wisps. Selah loves it. Enough said.

8. Homedics Sound spa Sound machine

Sound machine with 6 sounds and a projector as well. You can use the timer, but we don't. We let the ocean waves run all night. Very relaxing.

9. Cloth diaper burp cloths

See the pretty burp cloth on my mom's shoulder? (Hi Mom/Mila!)

A later picture with a close up of the previous burp cloth

At my baby shower, my friend's decorated plain, white cloth diapers with fabric paints to create burp cloths. Some people used stencils. Some people free handed it. Everyone created burp cloths that show me everyday how much they love me and my Selah. (The burp cloth featured in the pictures was actually a freehand drawing. Some people are so talented.)

10. Pacifier Leash

Yeah. She fell asleep like that.

 No link for this because there are tons out there. A pacifier leash is exactly what it sounds like: A piece of ribbon that clips to fabric on one end and hooks to the pacifier on the other. The one in the picture is a fancier one with a bow and a button with an S on the clip. You can find these easily with pacifiers. They are also super easy to make yourself: Ribbon, suspender clip and Velcro sewn together. Bam! There you have it.

An extra because they are that important:

11. Hair ties

If you have long hair (or even any hair at all), I recommend getting some hair ties. These are some of my favorite because they are non-slip, meaning hair that is put up, stays put up, no matter how often little tiny baby hands grab it.


 Now, I know these aren't all "necessities" but we certainly enjoy having them. Selah says buy. :)

Thankful Thursday-Selah's Dedication

On August 19, a very special little girl got dedicated! She may not know now how important that day was, but she will in the future. Check out the video to see it all go down!

Money Talks - Take the Money and Run (08.19.12) from GSUMC on Vimeo.

If you want to skip the music (where T is drumming), you can check it out around minute 20.

Honest Toddler

If you aren't reading Honest Toddler, you are missing out. It has to be one of the funniest things on the Internet. Well, of it's kind.


Blog: http://thehonesttoddler.com/

Twitter: @HonestToddler

Go. Read. Laugh. Thank me later.

For Meri

Living with Diabetes is expensive. Cancer treatments are expensive. Now imagine the cost of raising four boys, THREE of which have type 1 diabetes. Now imagine raising those four boys while your spouse (and bread winner) tries to beat an aggressive form of brain cancer. Expeeeeeensive, huh?

Then your spouse dies....

Meri, Ryan and family

That's what Meri Schuhmacher from Our Diabetic Life is dealing with right now. That sadness of losing your beloved husband. The summoning of strength for your children. Figuring out how to afford the insane, unavoidable expenses.

But you can help. If you have an extra $5, $10, $20, $100, whatever, even $1, you can go to http://www.giveforward.com/schuhmacherfamilymiracle2 to donate.

Thank you from all of the Diabetic Online Community (DOC) if you are able. Sorry to bother you if you detest posts, asking for donations like this one.

 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27 (NIV)