Pictures galore

Here is today's picture (September 13th). I got this onesie as a Father's Day present for Adam. If you can't tell, it says "I love Daddy." It's 3-6 months, so it hasn't fit him until now. If you are a fan of the tv show Friends, you will appreciate this story. Adam doesn't always smile naturally in photos. Well, he was smiling weird today and this last week I had watched the episode where Monica and Chandler get their engagement photos taken and Chandler also doesn't smile naturally. I was telling Adam about it, and it made him laugh and so he was finally smiling naturally so I could get a good picture!




We went to the Greek Festival this weekend with Andy and Jackson. Great food, although it was a bit overpriced. Brayden actually did really well in the carrier. It had been years since I had eaten cotton candy, so I got some for Jackson and I to share. Funniest moments: Jackson running under the ropes almost into the sanctuary of the Greek Orthodox church and then Adam's crazy driving (he definitely needed a navigator and was not always paying attention to lights).




Adam's dad was in town this weekend, so we went to visit him. Here's Brayden with Grandpa and Grandma Bishop. Thanks for the great dinner!

Cooking

Confession time: I have only cooked two real meals (like not from a box) since Brayden was born. The first was for the potluck we had after Brayden's blessing. I made a chicken stuffing casserole, and I had Adam's help. See, if Adam is around I always let him deal with the raw meat. I like to cook, but I hate that part of cooking (I also hate the cleaning up part, so he usually gets stuck with that too).

Anyways, I made the second meal yesterday. All by myself! Aren't you all so proud? I made a black bean and chicken casserole found at The Sisters' Cafe. I'm trying to really push myself to try new things and not be such a picky eater. I don't want Brayden to be picky, so I need to be more willing to try new things. I normally don't like beans, or green chiles, but I actually really liked this recipe.

Another goal I have (to help me accomplish the first one) is to try one new recipe a week at least for the rest of the year. I've started compiling a list tonight and I am really excited!

If any of you have recipes you love, send them my way. I'm especially interested in ones with black beans now that I know I like them. Also, if you know of any good recipe sites or blogs, send me the links please. I am doing Weight Watchers again, so they need to be reasonably healthy.

September 10th- Fussy right before bed... ironic choice of pajamas, right?




September 11th- Right before he woke up- he actually slept really well!




September 12th- Splashing and smiling in the bath

Blah day

That's how I would describe today... blah.

-I really didn't want to go to work today. Some days are harder than others I guess. It probably didn't help that I talked on the phone today while I was on the way to work to a friend who is a stay-at-home mom with a baby the same age as mine... just got kinda jealous. I have to keep reminding myself the good things coming from my working- insurance, Brayden having a close relationship with family, Brayden learning the value of work, etc. AT least I know from today's pictures that he had a good time.
-I got some family news that could end up being a big deal, but I need to wait and see what happens. But it's weird, let me tell you. It could end up being really cool, but how it ends up isn't in our hands, so we'll have to see.
-A conversation with someone who is a good friend left me feeling bad about myself. I'm sure she didn't mean to, but it did and now I'm trying to get over it. It's about smething I had already beat myself up over (emotionally), and I thought I had resolved my feelings about it, but they got stirred up again.

Enough with all the negative, here's my pictures from today. Brayden smiles a lot when you pump his legs (I hope you know what I mean- that's the only way I can think of to describe it). Anyways, I showed it to my parents and Nicki. I guess they did it while I was at work, and that's when they took these pictures.

Grandma (and Grandpa and Nicki too)

So, as a preface, Brayden was spoiled before he was ever born. He was spoiled from the moment my family knew he existed. We all bought stuff for him. This onesie is something my mom bought, obviously. If you can't read all of it, it says "My Grandma <3's Me." I know that both of our families love him, and I am so grateful for that.

I am especially grateful to my parents and to Nicki for tending him while Adam and I work. Even if I made enough to pay for daycare, I don't think I could leave Brayden with strangers. So thank you, Mom, Dad, and Nicki!

Labor Day

I was so happy to have a paid day off this week! We all enjoyed sleeping in together, and then we got a lot of cleaning done because Adam was home too. I am proud of the cleaning, but it wasn't my biggest accomplishment this weekend. Want to know what that was? I'm sure you're all dying to know....

I got sick of my hands being blistered from carrying the car seat. I was going to have my brother-in-law sew (he's awesome and knows how to do pretty much everything) a cover for the handle. But then we were at Walmart in the baby section and I noticed the cushiony type things they sell to go over the safety strap over the baby's shoulders... and I thought to myself, "Wouldn't that fit on the handle too?" Sure enough, it did. I gladly forked over $4, and hopefully my blisters will soon disappear!

Anyways, here is today's picture. Yes, it is yet another one showing off his huge, beautiful eyes (I know I brag about him too much, but I'm allowed to, right?). When people see him for the first time, they usually say one of two things: "He's such a big boy!" or "He's so bright-eyed!" I love his big eyes! It also shows the beginnings of his dimples because I caught him at the beginning of a smile.

Brainwashing

If what President Obama is going to tell America's school age children tomorrow is brainwashing, I am all for it. Although I would rather refer to it as a motivational speech about working hard, trying again after you fail, and being a productive member of society.

I think it's a great speech. Hopefully there are not that many parents who are seriously going to keep their kids home from school just because they don't like President Obama (great way to teach your kids to respect authority- not). Hopefully the kids that hear it will actually take some of it to heart and not just tune it out. Here are the parts I loved:

Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a good writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life — what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home — that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.

Here is my favorite quote:

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

What Republicans call brainwashing I apparently see as inspiration. Oh well.