This Week’s Small Change

This Week’s Small Change
(the link that got this blog post written)

I love the concept of "simplicity" especially as it is put by "Simplicity Parenting".
Sam and I have decided to keep gift giving simple by applying the following gift giving rules;
1. 3 gift limit. This rule made shopping fun because I got to pick something special for Samuel just from me. Sam also picked out a special gift for Samuel and we both agreed upon the third. For each other we set a one gift limit and under $10 (for this year). That is a real challenge; we will definitely be applying rule number 2 for this Christmas.
2. Make the presents! Making a present, re-gifting, doing something, or selling/trading something of your own to get something for someone else makes it so much more personable and so much easier on the wallet. We will only apply this to the immediate family so don't worry friends, your little ones will get real presents from us on their birthdays :)
3. Buy it for someone else. When Samuel (and our future children) is old enough to make a list of what he wants we hope to have him purchase a thing or two from the list and then donate it. I recently sent my sister something for her birthday that I would have loved to keep for myself and it felt great to send it to her instead.

So why am I blogging this? Pretty much to hold myself to it! This is something I have always felt strongly about but for some reason held off on applying until we had a baby (and coincidentally this is the same year we have not a penny to spare on gift giving).

2011 will be the year of simplifying for me... I can already feel the weight lifting from my shoulders.

Zoo

We are going to the Zoo today and renewing our membership. I am super excited knowing that we can once again go to the zoo any day/time they are open even if we haven't a dollar to spare (that is most days). I <3 Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens....and so do the Sams.

It's the little things

Lately my husband has been bringing Samuel into the bathroom when I am showering and lifting him up over the curtain so all I see is his sweet face.

Samuel has been grabbing my face with both hands and pulling me into his face so he can give "kisses". In reality I think he is tyring to eat my face or teeth on my chin but I still love it.

My husband has taken it upon himself to put together the diapers after they are washed. When I do it before he gets home he seems disappointed.

Every time I eat a yogurt I know it only cost me .0625 cents.

I tried to give Samuel rice cereal last night and he turned it down and wanted to nurse instead.

What a difference a year makes

Last year at this time I was barely pregnant, just enough so that I was starting to tell people. Now, as I approach the 30th anniversary of my own birth (thanks mom), I have a soon to be six month old son and a completely different life.
In this past year I have had many accomplishments both large and small and some so seemingly insignificant that their value can only be know by me. Some examples;
I have been pregnant
I learned to trust God
I have been very pregnant
I redecorated our house
I gave birth
I learned to really trust God
I gained 35lbs
I lost 15lbs in 3 weeks
I lost another 10 there after (please, don't do the math)
I learned to breast feed
I continued to breast feed
Those were the most obvious of my accomplishments so let me move to the somewhat smaller ones;
I mended friendships
I learned to live on a tight budget
I held out to 8cm before getting an epidural
I made it 3 days straight with only 2 hrs sleep each day
I made a 10 hr drive to and from NJ while 6 months pregnant
I made a much longer drive to and from NJ with a 4 1/2 month old
I have succesfully cloth diapered and will continue to do so
And my most favorite seemingly insignificant accomplishments of the past year;
I put on weight and loved it
I didn't move back to NJ (those who know me know how major this one was)
I grew, birthed, and sustained the life of a human being...ME! (and millions of other women I know but to think I did this is amazing...maybe this belongs in the big accomplishements list)
I did wake up ever two hrs to nurse the baby
I slept comfortably for more than 5 hrs straight
I ignored the negative feedback cloth diapering brought me
I ignored the judgments of not giving solid foods at 4 months
I cooked my husbands favortie foods...often
I hosted house guests on 4 different occasions, twice while pregnant and twice with a new baby
I learned to live happily on a very tight budget

Reading back I think it should all just be on the list of big accomplishements.
Years ago I would have told you how I dreaded the idea of ever turning 30 but now I embrace it. My twenties were fantastic (and I will blog on that topic one day) but I believe my thirties are going to be fabulous! 30 IS the new 20!

Birthday

A week from today will be the last day I have as a twenty something. My twenties have been great, in fact I may just blog about that decade of my life but another time. When turning thirty was months or years away I imagined I would have a big surprise party maybe even something formal with fancy hors d'oeuvres carried around on trays, after baby was born the hors d'oeuvres became hot dogs and the trays turned to paper plate but a party non the less. As it grew closer and I seemed to grow farther away from friends I wanted nothing to do with any of it. What good is a party if you fear no one would show or you have to throw it for yourself? Now I am feeling some regret. Turning thirty is a big event and they only let you do it once (otherwise this would be my 26th birthday, part 4). Is it too late? Could we pull it off in a short amount of time on our budget? Would it matter to me in ten years? I haven't had a birthday party in years and have in the passed vowed to never have one because of previous attempts failing miserably. i need to make a last minute decision and hopefully not regret it either way. How important is turning thirty?

Friday Night

The Zam Fam went to "Party on the Pavement" last night at The Harvest and had a great time. It was humid and hot but that didn't matter when you have a free hot dog, snow cones, music and lots of good friends. We had such a good time we decided to keep the fun going when we got home. We all snuggled in Mommy and Daddy's bed with some goodies and a movie. Than, if you can believe it, Samuel decided he wanted a bottle! For those of you who know our bottle struggle we had given up on it a while ago. But, he started making sucking motions that looked like he was thirsty (with all the sweaty and drooling he must have been) so we decided to give it a shot and put about 2oz of water in his bottle. He liked it....go figure. We will try again tonight and see what happens. Other than the bizarre bottle incident we all had a good time snuggling and watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Samuel feel asleep on his own and to no surprise after such a fun filled evening AND the fact that he had a playmate over all day as well.
On another note. I've decided to take my blog in a new direction. I will continue to randomly blog about family stuff but want to try some blogs about product reviews and couponing. We will see if it happens, I am usually in the Internet via cell phone these days and not up for typing out a blog post with my thumbs.

Euphoris has a give away and I want to win but if I don't win I want you to win!

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