8.5 month Baby Summary Update {ww37 and babywise schedule}

by Meghan // May 27, 2015 // Comments off

Well, here we are; somehow Ila is 8.5 months old! To think she is closer to 1 year old than a newborn baby … =( It is going by so quickly.

But God meant for healthy things to grow, and she is surely growing! She is a little over 20lbs and 28.5″ long; not as big as her siblings at this age, but that is okay.

Ila has 5 teeth and is working on one or two more. She gave up nursing around the beginning of April, and though I was devastated and continued trying to get her to nurse, she was completely done by the third week of April. Trying to nurse had become a battle that stressed us both out. I really thougth she was going to nurse for the long haul; she was my best nurser out of my three babies. But just like the others, once she realized the milk in the bottle came out faster, with less work involved for her, (even though it was the smallest size Tommie Tippee nipple), she was done with mama. =(

She still has a head full of hair, and that is the first thing people notice about her. The second thing they mention is how happy she is. And she is happy. The happiest baby ever; I know I say that on all of her summaries, but really. She doesn’t get upset over much, she has never spit up a day in her life (which I attribute to not getting dairy protein through nursing or her formula), and the only time she has a hard time with sleep or not feeling well is during wonder weeks; she is even pretty happy while teething, with only one or two rough days. I know this won’t last forever, at some point she will become a tiny tantrum on two feet, but for now, it is bliss!

Eating At 8 Months

Ila is eating every 4 hours … sorta? =/ She is eating solids LIKE CRAZY. If we are eating, she wants a bite of it. Which means that she has been eating: burger meat, steak, meat loaf, rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, spaghetti, cooked carrots, cooked green beans, sautéed zucchini and onion, grapes, apple sauce, pears, banana, eggs … and really the list goes on (though no processed foods). Basically if it is soft enough for her to chew, and homemade with real ingredients, she gets it. I did give her some BBQ from a local restaurant the other night, and she liked that too. =)

So at 3 of her 4 feedings she eats solids, then takes her bottle. She refuses her bottle before she eats real food, and she won’t take it right after she eats … so a little after she has eaten she is ready for her bottle. Oh- and if she hasn’t had a poopy diaper she won’t take a bottle, so basically her life revolves around when she poops! haha But I am working on not letting her eat as much food before her bottle, since that should still be her primary form of nourishment right now.

Schedule

Ila has moved seamlessly to a 2 nap schedule. I knew it was time to drop the cat nap because her naps were being interrupted, but she was still tired after waking and about 20 minutes later she would go back to sleep. Also, the third nap just seemed to be messing with her night sleep and first morning nap. So … we dropped to a 2-3-4 schedule (loosely) and it has been working great. Really it is more like a 2-2.5-4 hour schedule. She hasn’t quite worked up to 3 hours at that second nap yet, but it won’t be long. I imagine after this wonder week (ww37) she will be ready.

So at 8.5 months, her schedule looks like this:

7am wake, bottle, solids
9 down
10:30 usually wakes, rest until 11
11 up, lunch, bottle
1 down for nap #2
2:30-3 wake, solids, bottle
5:30 dinner, bath
6:30 bottle, bed
Asleep by 7pm

Development

Ila is doing new things every day! Since my lsat summary, she has started sitting up, scooting on her belly, rolling all over the place to get to things she wants, clapping, and signing. She likes to roll around on the floor and is really trying to crawl; she is thiiiiiis close to crawling! But honestly, with the move, and rent house, etc. I am not a huge fan of her crawling too soon anyway!

She has started signing for milk and more. I think she started signing for milk about a month ago, but I wasn’t 100% certain. Then she began signing for more, and it was pretty obvious what she was wanting! haha The baby is covered with fat rolls and loves to eat, what can I say?

The other day at the rent house Ila was in the floor with Scout (the singing talking dog). It was singing a song and she started DANCING. It was possibly the cutest thing ever. So now, she just bounces and dances when it plays music.

Ila is working on grasping small pieces of food, and while she can usually pick them up, she has a hard time getting them into her mouth. She has also discovered throwing things .. including her water cup! NOT FUN. Ugh. But our little Mister is so sweet and gets it for her every. single. time she “drops” it. haha He is helping create a monster. =)

Big brother and sister adore her. I mean … just smother her to death adore her. Including Mister- she is his “sweet baby girl Ila.” I love that he is (usually) so gentle and good with her. And big sister is mama’s BIG helper. She is also in love with Ila and is always teaching her new things (works on signing with her) and cheering her on! Did I mention Charlie loves her, too?

As far as the WW is going … there is some fussing at sleep time and all around weirdness going on, but in the nest 3 weeks that should end. *whew*

That is all of Ila’s 8month update I think … I *love* this stage! (minus the wonder week!)

What is your favorite “baby stage?”

Simple Woman’s Daybook {11}

by Meghan // April 14, 2015 // Comments off

Outside my Window …
It is a beautiful, crisp spring morning.

I am thinking…
I can not WAIT to go camping this week.

I am thankful…
That my husband and I share interests and can raise our children doing the things we love- like camping and fishing.

In the kitchen…
There is a giant box full of food for camping and traveling this week.

I am wearing…
jeans, a tshirt my husband got me from Chile, and a hair twisty on my wrist.

I am creating…
.. still working on Ila summer dresses. =)

I am going…
CAMPING! =)

I am wondering…
If it will rain or be pretty this week. The weather forecast changed on us =/

I am reading…
A great book for a review .. can’t wait to share with other homeschooling mamas!

I am hoping…
It is beautiful this week.

I am looking forward to…
Did I mention camping? Ha- jk. I am looking forward to this week in the country, spending time with my lil country bumpkins, and showing them how to really fish!

I am learning…
I eat better when my husband is out of town ..

Around the house…
Things are packed and sorta a mess; but all the laundry is clean!

I am pondering…
How I am going to work delicious, warm, ooozy smores into my low-sugar diet …

A favorite quote for today…

Photo credit HERE (it’s a super cute printable, too!)

One of my favorite things…
Smores! I can’t wait for my babies to have their first smores this week!

A few plans for the rest of the week:
NONE- just freedom in the woods.

A peek into my day…

Photo Credit HERE

N is for Nature {Blogging Through the ABCs}

by Meghan // March 14, 2015 // Comments off

Growing up, mine and my brother’s favorite thing was being outside, in nature. Climbing trees, digging in dirt, fishing-basically anything outdoors we were down for.

My favorite past times of high school are those fishing with my friends on Pickwick lake, at a friend’s pond, or going on early morning squirrel hunts.

Mine and my husband’s first date was fishing at Shelby Farms in Memphis-that’s the first place he kissed me, where we took our dogs on picnics, and flew kites (yes- 18 and 24 year old fly kites!). We camped, fished, canoed, and hunted our way through the first years of our relationship and marriage.

Our children are growing up loving the outdoors- they love to camp, fish, walk by the creek in town, “work” in the garden, and hear about daddy’s hunting adventures which they are sure to join him on one day.

God gave us one of the most precious gifts for our enjoyment-

Nature.

I wonder what Adam thought when God gave him reign over the earth? When God told him to name the animals, enjoy the fruits of the trees, use their leaves for medicine.

Did he know how amazing that was? Did he know God had given him everything he would ever need?

What I love about homeschool is we can stop, in the middle of the most beautiful warm day and go lay in the grass; breathe in the fresh air and soak up the sun and thank God for the most beautiful gift and responsibility.

I love that integrated into my children’s education is how God works in nature. I like that everything they are learning links back to how God created it, and that science can fully support our God’s work.

In my life, in our family, and in our homeschool N is definitely for nature.

Tot Time {sorting by color} December 2014

by Meghan // December 22, 2014 // Comments off

The month of December we were going to take a short break from learning time, however- both kids are still begging to do it each day! So I decided to use this month as a trial for including Max in our structured learning time. Up to this point he has just been too destructive and too much of a distraction for Lexie.

Two Year Old Development

However, about 10-12 days ago, Max woke up a different child! (Mister is 27 months old) He is suddenly (a bit more) obedient, more independent, talking in complete sentences, eating so neatly, dressing himself, and his melt downs have become non-existent. (YAY!) During the time that Lexie is working on her school work, Max has been coloring, identifying letters, and sorting by color (his favorite) with us at the counter. He loves being included, and this fits well with our ultimate goal of everyone learning together.

This is my FAVORITE stage! He has started showing interest in a bit more structured learning (Lexie always showed interest so we have done it since she was tiny). Of course everything is through play and we/they play all day because that is the most important way for them to learn.

One thing I will mention is that, as much as I wanted to, I have tried not to push him to do learning time with us; he just wasn’t ready. And although it was hard for a few months during his really terrible two’s, ~~OMG~~ he has come out of that developmental leap ready to participate a bit!

Between Mister participating in learning time, and Ila stretching her wake time and feeding schedule, we have an ever evolving daily routine. So for a quick run down, our new routine looks something like this:

7am- daddy gets them up, eat breakfast, while mommy feeds Ila
7:55/8am – Ila goes down for nap, mommy cleans kitchen from breakfast, does a few chores, everyone ready for the day, kids outside if weather permits
8:45am- Sonlight readings for the day, Bible verse of the week, and discussion of any books we read. Sometimes we watch a video about what we have read (for instance this week we watched a few youtube videos on octopi, coral reefs, and sunken ships on the ipad. this is a treat, not a regular thing)
9:30/9:45- learning time- this includes Lexie’s All About reading, practicing sight word ring, shapes ring, HWOT work, any copy work, and math practice. We don’t do all these things every day. Some days we just doodle, color, and talk!
10:30- Max and Lexie to independent play/mommy feeds Ila
11:30- Ila down, big two eat lunch, outside if weather permits
12:15 Max down for nap
12:30 Lexie down for nap
1:30/2 Ila up to eat
2:30/3pm Ila down for nap
3:00-3:300 L and M up from nap, outside again if weather permits, if not we play and read
somewhere in here I prep dinner if I haven’t already
4:30/5- Ila up and eats
5:30/6- eat dinner; Ila back down for last nap of day (we are working on stretching to a 4 hour schedule, when we get there she will drop this nap and do a bit earlier bedtime. Until then she usually needs to be held during this cat nap. We don’t have the swing up or I would use it instead)
6:40- L and M to bed
7pm- Ila’s last feeding of the day, in bed by 7:40

And that is it for now. Hopefully in the next 4-6 weeks Ila will have her 3.5hr feedings stretched to every 4 hours. AAAAAH the 4 hour feeding schedule- YAY. That is when things really get easier. But for now, this is working out well for everyone. I have a little bit of time right now while all the kids are down for nap that I can rest, blog, or sew. =)

But, back to learning time- sometimes after we do our Sonlight readings for the day, we just sit at the table and talk while we all doodle and color. During this time Lexie spells words, practices writing and drawing, Max identifies letters, shapes, and numbers that I write on his paper. We also count, Max may go get a puzzle to work on, etc. So we are learning but it is much less formal and just as important as the formal stuff we do. This is a precious time, and I am so fired up about teaching them!

I am so excited about this time together! It is so much fun watching Max grow and develop from a baby into a big boy toddler; and Lexie is just becoming a sweet, precious little lady, while Ila is becoming more alert every day. We have so much fun.

**One more thing I want to add- I never thought Max’s terrible two’s would end. It was truly hard, stressful, and I was learning to breathe my way through the day. But IT DOES END. And on the other side there is a happy, independent, clumsy, and sweet phase- that’s where we are. Lexie never had terrible two’s (or at least they weren’t very hard if she did) so it was all new to me. If you’re a new mama in the throws of tantrums and all that is the two’s, just continue to be consistent and steadfast because it does end; and when it does, all the time, effort, and discipline you have put in during the hard time pays off!

And it is so much fun! So let the tot-time blog posts begin.

Family Advent Devotional: Good News of Great Joy!

by Meghan // December 3, 2014 // Comments off

My family and I were so blessed to review a wonderful new Advent devotional for Christian families! Good News of Great Joy, ($3.99!) by Rachel Tiemeyer from Thriving Home, is a wonderful way to begin your family’s Christmas season.

This e-book devotional is written for children ages 2-11, but is definitely appropriate for all ages. Each devotional is set up for a weekly reading and activity, but you can schedule this out daily if you’d like. This is what I *love* about this particular program- it isn’t a crazy busy craft or activity every. single. day, requiring tons of supplies. It is gentle and simple, just how we like to focus on Christmas in our home!

What’s Inside

There are four (4) devotions; each devotional has a “read,” “pray,” and “discuss and do,” section.

Read: you read the devotional from a Bible of your choice (she has even referenced the particular stories in some of the most popular children’s Bibles- The Jesus Storybook Bible, and The Rhyme Bible Storybook), or several different Bibles.
Pray: Pray about what you have read
Discuss and Do: Here is where you complete an activity. These are fun and simple, but meaningful. You can do one activity, or all of those suggested with your children.

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year- while the world is spinning into utter chaos over material things and sales, we relax, focus on the birth of our savior, and spend time together. We use this time to remember why God sent Jesus to Earth, and thanking Him for that precious gift. This devotional helps us do just that!

So if you are looking for an Advent Devotional (your first, or maybe a new one), head on over to Thriving Home, and get a copy now!

Merry Christmas!

Weekly Wrap Up: November 2014 {and Notebooking American Girl Books}

by Meghan // December 1, 2014 // Comments off

This month has flown by! Thanksgiving is already over and everyone is prepping for Christmas.

We haven’t had any real weekly updates the last few weeks, because well … we haven’t done a lot of formal schooling. Most everything has been relaxed and theme based. And of course, we spend a lot of time just snuggling Ila. =) I mean, I spend 6 hours a day nursing her, and after every feeding Lexie and Max both request a turn to hold her. So, we school when we can. 😉

Fall Indoor activities {quietinthechaos.com}

Lexie and “Jane Kirsten” having a picnic, building forts, happy baby ila

We worked on some pumpkin activities, which involved Max making his own pumpkin description book. (you can find it at www.ThisReadingMama.com) He really enjoyed it! We are still working on NOT eating the markers … =)

Handwriting Practice and Fine Motor {quietinthechaos.com}

practicing handwriting, coloring with markers, gluing pumpkins in book

We also had our first big snow: (Lexie doesn’t mind the cold if she can play in the snow. Mister refuses to keep his clothes on, so of course he gets “too cold” and needs to come in. haha)

Lexie is still notebooking her way through the Kirsten of American Girl series. She loves doing this and I am so glad she does. I am going to introduce her to a timeline soon. We have been talking about so many things in history lately, and I know it will help her understand something so contrast if she can see a visual. We have two chapters left to notebook, and then we will move on to the next book. I got our blank notebooking pages from notebookingfairy.com. I chose the biography pages, whole punched them, and put in a folder with prongs. We will add to it as we go.

Notebooking “Meet Kirsten”

Last Saturday I was working on some knitting, and Lexie asked if I could show her how to knit. Of course I said yes! I love that my girl wants to sew and knit! So, this is the little progress we made. You may be wondering how I helped a four year old knit- I sat on the edge of my chair, and had her stand between my legs, so I could get my arms around hers. I place my hands over hers, and we just went through the motions. By the end, she knew exactly what to do, although she struggled with the dexterity needed. I have no doubt she will be able to do it herself before long!

We did do lots of reading about Thanksgiving. You can see my post of supplemental books for Thanksgiving HERE (link coming soon). Lexie really enjoyed this and learned lots of new vocabulary from these readings. She has been using the new words every chance she gets!

And then, of course, we had Thanksgiving dinner. Usually we spend Thanksgiving traveling to see family, but this year with Ila being so little we just decided to stay home. It was my first year to cook a real Thanksgiving dinner for my family- we had turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole (from scratch, might I add…) and pecan pie. And of course I am using my turkey bones to make bone broth! As my sweet Lexie said, it was a “real Thanksgiving feast!” She was so funny, she was kinda wiggling around on her seat during dinner, and she says, “I am just wiggling my belly so I can make room for more!” haha She definitely belongs to us!

Between all this I have slowly started back running on the treadmill, and decorating for Christmas. I hope to get you a recipe for that DELICIOUS green bean casserole soon, and an update on our Advent activities. =)

Happy Holidays, and stay warm!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

by Meghan // November 13, 2014 // Comments off

Since we had Baby Ila, my husband has done all the shopping (except for one quick trip I made with Mister and Miss during Lady’s gymnastics)- every time he goes he grabs some veggies. Because just about every day, I have been making us oven roasted vegetables for at least one meal!

These are SO easy, even more delicious, and are loved by everyone in the house. You can seriously use any variety of veggies- I like a few red potatoes, fresh green beans, a whole head of garlic (because I could eat 10 heads of roasted garlic … that’s right, not cloves. heads), a few peeled carrots, zucchini, and my latest addition- peeled beets! Mmmm

Now, the zucchini get a tiny bit over
cooked, because all the other veggies take so long to become tender. However, for me that isn’t a problem. The zucchini is like …. buttery. It is so delicious when roasted!

We have all decided we like our veggies roasted better than sauteed, which is saying a lot!

Oven Roasted Vegetables

50 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

You can use any combo of veggies, or any single vegetable (like potatoes or carrots)
4 red potatoes, chopped in medium to small cubes
a handful or two of fresh green beans (I just chop off the ends)
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise then chopped in half circles
2-4 beets, peeled and chopped into cubes or wedges
2-3 peeled organic carrots (I say organic because have you ever tasted an organic carrot?! Oh my they're SO much better than regular carrots)
1 head of garlic, peeled- don't chop the garlic, just throw each clove in there whole
2+ TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
large bowl for tossing
roasting dish for roasting (or any long baking dish will do)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450*
As you chop your veggies, throw them in a large mixing bowl
After everything is chopped, drizzle bowl of veggies with olive oil
Sprinkle generously with real salt, and pepper
Pour into baking dish
Pope the UNcovered dish into the oven for 40-50 minutes
*I set my timer for 25 minutes, then toss the vegetables and place them back in the oven for 25 more minutes. This lets all of the veggies get roasted more evenly and they crunch up a little better. Mmmm I can taste them now!

You can get real salt here (remember real salt is NEVER white, even “sea salt.” It should be gray, brown, pink, etc). Plus, real salt isn’t “salty” it has flavor, and is delicious. We love it in our home.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Healthy Beef and Rice Casserole

by Meghan // October 9, 2014 // Comments off

I make a variation of this recipe that isn’t baked … we call it “goolash.” This recipe is a version of “Beef and Rice Casserole” adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (mine was the 11th edition).

This was a HUGE hit with my family, including the two year old. While he isn’t picky, he is what I call lazy and doesn’t like to chew meat; he will just suck on it, get all the flavor out, then spit out the meat. He ate every bite of this!

And it is something you can feel good about feeding to your family. This recipe does call for homemade bone broth- click HERE to learn how to make yours (it is SO easy!)

Healthy Beef and Rice Casserole

1 hour, 10 minutes

Number of servings: 12

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Healthy Beef and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

2 pound ground beef or pork (I used grassfed beef)
1 sweet or red onion, diced
2 cups long grain brown rice (we like organic jasmine rice from Azure)
2 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can sweet corn
1 small can sliced olives
1 small can green chilies
4 cups homemade bone broth
chili powder to taste
Worcestershire to taste
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese of choice for topping (we used Daiya dairy free mozerella)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
In a large pot or skillet brown the ground beef and onion until meat is cooked and onion is soft
Add the rest of ingredients
Bring to a boil
Remove from heat and transfer to a large casserole dish
Cover and bake in 350 oven for one hour
Uncover, top with cheese of choice and put back in the oven until cheese is melty (10 mins or so)
This is about 264 calories per serving

A Peek into Our PreK Day with Pictures {Crew Carnival}

by Meghan // October 6, 2014 // Comments off

Our Homeschool Day in Pictures {Quiet in the Chaos}

This week we are linking up with the Review Crew’s “Our Homeschool Day in Pictures.” Click on the image above to read other Crew members’ posts!

This week Lexie’s reading EXPLODED! She has been reading her AAR readers like crazy; we love this program. I am so proud of her, but mostly I am just thankful her confidence has gone through the roof. She will try read just about any word I point to. We are working on using her finger to point to the words (she doesn’t like to do this, but reads much better when she does) and not using the pictures to guess what the sentence says. As you can see, we used an envelope to cover the pictures so she will read the words first, then look at the pics.

And now we do a whole lot of this ….

We have snacks outside, twice a day. (I think this is their favorite thing to do …)

The Mister enjoys playing “connect four” and reading books.

We have also been gardening (LOTS of tomatoes coming off our plants), and just adjusting to having a baby in the house. Overall, everything is going smoothly and everyone is adjusting well! =)

{a review} Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling older kids with success while loving the little ones at your feet

by Meghan // October 1, 2014 // Comments off

While Lexie is technically a preschooler, I am also trying to homeschool with two other little ones! One of those littles is a very rambunctious, loud, two year old boy … So I was very excited (and blessed) to review the e-book for homeschooling moms, Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling older kids with success while loving the little ones at our feet ($2.99). This was written by Kendra Fletcher from Preschoolers and Peace and is a wonderful resource for all homeschooling families with preschoolers running about.

About the Product:

This e-book is inspired by the “best of” posts from Preschoolers and Peace website. (If you haven’t visited the website, and you are a homeschooling parent to littles, I would suggest checking it out!) The chapters covered in the e-book include:

What a Homeschooling Mom Needs
Preparing Yourself to Homeschool Older Kids with Little Ones Under Foot
Planning Around Preschoolers
How Do I Keep Them Busy?
What Does a Two-Year-Old’s Day Look Like?
How Do I Get Any Preschooling Done?
How Not to Just Kill Time
Circle Time: Or How We Pull the Little Ones In
Preschool Boys
When All Of Your Kiddos Are Preschoolers
Preschool Chores
Planning for Preschool
When Mama is Worn Out (or pregnant)
Meal Planning 101

Really? Do you have any idea how amazing it is to find a resource with all this information in one place?! I am a member of several online homeschool groups- the number one most posted question posted is, “how do you keep your little ones busy while homeschooling your older kids?” This is also MY number one question!

Lexie and Max are not close enough in development at this point, for us to do formal schooling together- At two years old, he obviously isn’t learning to read, write his numbers, grip a pencil properly, or create lapbooks. His “learning time” is just as important as my 4 year old’s, but it looks much different right now. And keeping him busy and quiet while she is trying to focus on reading her Bob Books readers?! That has been one of my biggest challenges. He joins us for read alouds, and circle time, but at two isn’t ready for the same activities she is at four years old.

What I Thought About It and How I Use It

Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling older kids with success while loving the little ones at our feet helped remind me of my options, and give me ideas for more options. But more than that, Kendra begins her book by reminding us of our relationship with God; that Christ is where our identity lays, and that making time for prayer and Him are first and foremost to homeschooling.

My favorite tip that she gives is one in a series of steps- determine what activities you can do with littles around, and which ones you cannot. There are certain lessons you may not mind your toddler being underfoot, such as Bible, or read alouds. Then there are lessons you may want to do while the “nappers are napping;” for me, that is definitely reading/phonics. The e-book is full of activities you can use to keep your toddler busy while schooling your older children. I am going to post the list Kendra provides on our bulletin board in the kitchen, and rotate the activities Max gets to enjoy each day/week. That way I don’t have to work hard to plan things for him to enjoy, yet he still feels like he is part of “learning time.” (Because he asks to do it with us all the time.)

But as I have mentioned, this book is more than activities. It is a collection of ideas, homeschool how-tos, and inspiration that every homeschooling mom needs! I found the e-book to be so helpful I have printed it out, highlighted it, and re-read many parts of it in just the few weeks I’ve owned it.

Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling older kids with success while loving the little ones at our feet has helped me rearrange our time, relax, and make our homeschool days count! I try to live each of our days as if this precious gift of homeschooling my children will end tomorrow, and this book has given me a refresher course so I can do just that!