How to handle life with newborn and toddler - Part 2

6. My dear friend Joyce wrote: "Involve Max in your daily routine with Wes." 
Another friend advised, "When they both ask for your attention at the same time, assist your first born first unless in case of emergency. Crying baby can wait."



Have Max 'read' books for Wes, help throwing his diaper, giving him milk so he feels special and knows your expectation of him, and that really helps his confidence and security. 


A great tip I found from the book: 7 Highly Effective Family: Whenever I nurse Wes, make it a reading time with Max that way he doesn't feel left out every time mommy has to nurse the baby.


7. When I was doubting myself whether I really do this on my own. My friend Eve answered, "You don't have to do it own your own; Accept help!" So I did and my dear friends willingly helped with bringing hearty meals; babysitting Max; taking over our volunteer schedule, and so on. We also hired someone to clean our place one time, order take out/ catering at least twice a week, and  buy bread instead of baking them myself.






8. Practice Grace on myself and others. Don't sweat the small stuffs. It's okay if the blinds are dusty, the toilet stinks a bit, the laundry piled up. I need to focus on taking care of myself and my love ones. Rest as much as possible. Remember I just delivered a baby. Take it slow. Chris and I extremely grateful for my mom who was here for 5 weeks to help us out. She cooked, cleaned, helped us with night shifts, and accompanied Max when I was recovering. We can't imagine what would we do without her. Thanks mom! We are so blessed to have you.

9. Take it one day at a time. I got this advise from a young mom of three boys who lost her husband to brain cancer. Things will get better. The storm will pass and soon I will be back on my feet again. The last line was from my sweet friend, Vanini. Thanks Van!

10. Last but not least is to Treasure your love ones.  Who knows Wesley maybe our last baby, Seize every moment!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

...He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

You can read Part 1 here

How to handle life with newborn and toddler - Part 1

After almost 10 months, Wesley is FINALLY sleeping through the night. Thank You Lord! 
I came across the e-mails I sent to my friends with two kids or more for their input on how they handle life with a toddler and newborn. Below were their answers and some other tips that I found to be very helpful:

1. Accept the fact that I won't have good night sleep (at least for this season of life). The first month of his life, Wes woke up almost every hour.  I remember being so tired and cried while rocking him to sleep. In my mind, I recalled my friend's newborn baby who slept 5 hours at time. Then in still small voice, God reminded me, "Kiki, you asked me for this child. Do you know how much tears some people shed to have what you have?" That settled the issue. It doesn't make me woke up cheerfully every time I hear Wes cry, but it does make me woke up with thankful heart. Although there are times when all I could do was asking Chris, "Can you please take this one?" I can't thank God enough for giving me such a caring husband.


2. Have a low expectation of how my day goes - this one is from my dear friend Elisse. Exactly the advise that I need back then. I don't have smart phone so I jotted down my goals, plan, schedule, to do list in a journal. Everyday (before Wesley birth) it's almost always full with lists. In the weeks following Wesley's birth, all I could do was wake up, nurse the baby, eat, and sleep. The pages in my journal mostly blank. Sometimes all I put on my To Do List was: Take a Shower! :)


3. Communicate to my husband what I need NICELY! 
My husband can't read my mind. Well no body can except God even so He still want me to pray to Him. So anyway, I need to communicate to him what I need or feel not assuming he know it. I intentionally capitalize nicely because after giving birth, my hormone often cause me to be emotional so I need to be aware of this. Also, let him do things his way.


4. Soak in God's Words. When I was down with anemia and had postpartum blues/ depression; I started to believe in lies: If God loves me how comes he gave me headaches this bad?; My husband cares about his work more than me; Maybe I'm  not ready to have another baby. and so on and so on. I cried a lot 'till one day I decided to fight the lies with TRUTH. I started to memorize God's Words starting from my list of Bible verses for labor and beyond. 
Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, ... you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 


5. Count my blessings.  I wrote down on my journal every blessing: each meal that my friends brought me, gifts, visit, kind words, prayers and encouragement. It makes a whole world different in my attitude and perspective. 
"Do not be anxious in everything but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God." Ephesians 4:6 



Part 2 can be found here

Artisan Bread

I borrowed the book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day  from the library after hearing so many good reviews on it. Since then we have been enjoying homemade Artisan Bread. Yummmm so good! 

The Secret is: Pre-mixed, pre-risen, high-moisture dough keeps well in the refrigerator. Mix enough dough for several loaves and store it in the refrigerator then use it over the next couple of weeks.

Artisan Bread 
To make 2 of 1-pound loaves (half of the original recipe)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups luke warm water
3/4 tablespoons yeast (3/4 packets)
3/4 Tbs kosher salt
3 1/4 unbleached all purpose white four

Direction (the way I do it):
1. Warm the water
2. Pour the water inside the bread machine (or use Kitchen Aid with dough attachment), add yeast, salt, then mix in the flour. I use a Zojirushi bread maker, turn off the pre-heat option, then set it to dough option. Once it is done kneading (about 10 min if using Kitchen Aid on low speed), 
3. Cover the container, let it rise (I just leave mine in the bread maker) for 2 hours then put the dough inside a lidded (not air tight) container in the fridge ( use it over the next couple of weeks)
When I am ready to bake:
5. Pull and cut the dough in half then shape a loaf see video on how to do it here, 
6. Let it rise on parchment paper cover pizza peel ( I don't have pizza peel so I put mine on top of wood cutting board) for about 40 minutes
7. Preheat the oven to 500F for 20 min with baking stone in the middle of the rack and broiler tray on the bottom rack 
8. Dust the top of the loaf with flour then slash a 1/2 inch deep into the top, using a bread knife

9. Slide the bread (with the parchment paper) on top of baking stone in the oven. Put a cup of hot water in the broiler tray (this is optional I think because one day I forgot to put this and the bread turned out to be better (according to hubby).
10. Turn down the oven to 400F (because parchment paper only allowed temp up to 425) then bake for 30 minutes.
11. Allow the bread to cool before cutting and eat it. I like to eat mine with balsamic vinegar.




Enjoy!

My Everyday Mess and Blessing

These are two favorite books of my three years old:


He 'read' these books so often that he know exactly where is the humpback whale, bull frog, hippo, etc...


A peek into my washing machine. Bottles and baby toys occupies the top rack most of the time:


These medicines has been staying on our kitchen counter these past two weeks. Thankful that we're now healthy and I can put this away.


One day I put Wesley on the potty then went to rinse the dishes in the kitchen. When I came back I found him chewing Mr. Station Guard. Poor guy:


I read one day Ruth Bell Graham kept her Bible open at home for constant meditation. I want that but somehow my kitchen counter always full with other stuff. One day I accidentally spilled one of the cough medicine, which made me have to clean and rearrange our counter. I wasn't happy at that time but guess what I found at the end: a spot where my Bible can be opened at any times:


A friend of mine once e-mail me: asking how do you do it? cooking and baking everyday; keeping the house clean and orderly, and so on
My reply, "You don't see everything." My house is not always clean and tidy; sometimes I don't get out of my pajamas all days, and there are days I don't feel like cooking and baking. 

I love orchids

But somehow I never manage to keep it alive

My kitchen table is a mess most of the time; at least 5 times a day when during meals and snacks times:

And sometimes this is what our living room looks like though we almost always manage to get it clean seconds before daddy got home:

Sometimes, my recipe trial turned out to be a disaster:

MoneySavingMom shared this post last week:…Never forget that what you see on the screen is not the whole picture.

Never forget that the people behind the blogs are, well, people…with unorganized cupboards, unmanaged time schedules, cranky children, painful stories, crafty train wrecks, struggling marriages, unpaid bills and burnt meat loaf. (Those are the examples I use, because those have all been me behind the scenes.)

Never forget that their story and their journey and their choices apply to them, not to you.

You are who you are for a reason. You are where you are a for a reason. Don’t do what I do and beat yourself up for not being where someone else is. It’s a colossal waste of time.

Appreciate everyone else’s outside, but embrace your inside. (Read the full post here)

Inspirational Blogs - Part 2

6. The Pioneer Woman
I know there are great site to find recipes: allrecipes.com, America Test Kitchen, FoodNetwork, and so on but when i don't feel like cooking, thepioneerwoman is the site I go for inspiration. Her passion for cooking is contagious. Her photography is very inspiring too.



I already shared about these two Personal Finance sites below on the past:
7. ChristianPF
My favorite: 15 Ways To Cut Your Expenses

8. Bible Money Matters, I especially like his detail review on Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University: http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2008/10/fpu.html

9.Woman Living Well
I love her heart, humility, love for God and people. One post that still resonate in my head is this one. She wrote free e-book: The Proverbs 31 Woman One Virtue At a Time

10. Last but not least is: Sally Clarkson's blog: I Take Joy
Sally wrote one of my favorite book on parenting: Mission of Motherhood
And I am so very excited with God's and my dear husband's blessing, I (and my two good friends) will be going to Sally's Mom's Heart Conference in Irvine, CA. I can't wait to learn more from this Titus 2 woman.

Inspirational Blogs - Part 1

There are millions of blogs out there. Here are ten blogs that I love to read and subscribed at my Google Reader:

1. Simplemom.net
I found simplemom website when I was looking for information on cloth diapering since then I have been learning about many things from organization to motherhood, green living, and much more. She wrote an e-book, which is jam packed with a lot of useful information. Totally worth $5 in my opinion since a lot of her practical ideas eventually save me more than $5.



2. The Frugal Girl
I love her cheerfulness. My favorite is her posts on Contentment

3. Gracefullmama
Written by a missionary mama of 5, who live in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Every time I read her post, I'm encouraged to be a better wife, mom, sister, friend, and daughter.

4. A Holy Experience 
Do you know someone who is really really good at something? Ann Voskamp is a very gifted writer. The truth is I don't subscribe to her blog. I visit her blog whenever my soul need to be refreshed. Visiting her site is like a treat for me like going to Farmer's Market or Fabric Store. She is the one who made me start my One Thousand Gifts' list. She wrote a book about it too:

5. Money Saving Mom:
Crystal is such an inspiration. She and her husband pay CASH on their house and give 100% of the profit from her blog and book: The Money Saving Mom's Budget to Compassion International. I know her site got a lot of deals and it can be overwhelming to read through all her posts so what I did was to subscribe to her site through Google reader, skim through the title of her posts, and read only the ones that fits my need. Especially love her posts on Time Management and Setting Goals.

I just realized after I wrote the above list that all of the above writers are homeschooling moms. :)

- To be continued

Seize Every Minute

I was organizing our pictures and found these pics of Wesley on his early days. It seems like just yesterday he was that small. He is now tripled his birth weight, crawling all over the place, can protest by screaming out loud when his big brother doesn't allow him to play his toys, and so on and so on. 
Every wise older women I know would tell me the same thing, "Enjoy every minute. They grows so FAST." They do indeed and I am enjoying and soaking every precious time I have with them.

The other day I stumbled upon this writing by Erma Bombeck. She wrote this near the end of her life.  

If I Had My Life to Live Over

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more. 

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. 

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. 

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. 

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. 

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life. 

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. 

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. 

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. 

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." 

There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ... But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

Update

We took Wes to his pediatrician last Friday and he was diagnosed with RSV. Most likely I caught it from a trip to the library then the virus got to Wes and Max and finally daddy also catch it today. Aiyaya... It's a cold so flu shot won't work for this very contagious virus. Thank God for His grace and perfect timing. I already felt much better when both kids started to get sick. It takes a lot of work to take care of sick kids. Chris said, "having two sick kids is like having four kids." I think that statement described our challenge this week very well. 

Nevertheless, the boys are handling it well not too fuzzy just need a lot of tender loving care. I'm so proud of them. Max especially now when he can understand better. We just give him medicine, he'll drink it. We asked him to blow his nose, he'll pick up the tissue then give it to us to help him do so. Way to go, dear. 



O... and my dear husband has been such a trooper too. He wakes up with me every 1- 2 hours at night when Wesley cries due to stuffy nose. We'd then take turn to put him back to sleep. I don't know what I would do without this man.





Something also show up this week. 

I was going to take picture of Wesley's new teeth but he didn't want to open his mouth. Max immediately came and do so without me asking. Surprisingly, Wesley didn't protest when his big brother hold his mouth.

Taa Daa:

I heard it's gonna be cold and windy this week. Maybe the snow finally shows up in Tahoe ;) 

Have a blessed week, everyone!

Going Out

Thank you for praying for us. I am feeling much much better while Wesley is still recovering. His temperature rose to 102 F these past two days but quickly went down after we gave him fever medication. 

Earlier this week, I checked the weather and learned that it was supposed to be mostly cloudy 'till Thursday. Already not feeling well, I remembered Nana' sharing here so I prayed for sunshine (selfish I know! Fonda just reminded me that many people are hoping for snow in Tahoe). I was feeling very weak on Tuesday afternoon so I asked Chris to try to get home early to watch the kids so that I can rest. Bless his heart; he immediately went home. I took a long 4 hours nap afterward awaken by warm sunshine through the windows. GOD IS GOOD! 

Then I read my bible passage that day from Ephesians 3, which is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians. Verse 18 stood up, " I pray that you, ...  may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." 

The next day, I was determined to get out and enjoy the sunshine.
My first born is an observant little fella. He will walk, then stop, point out to details that I would easily miss if I walk by myself


Like this tree, the only tree in our street that still have some red on it:


Meanwhile my other boy is also enjoying the walk:


I kept reminding him to not stay too close to Wes, who was sick, but it's too hard for him not to touch 


or kiss his baby brother













"Mama, this tree has some nuts. Take a picture!" Max said. So I did:


May you also experience God's love today

My Poor Wes

My little guy is sick again. He got the same naughty virus that has been bugging me these past 4 days so I know exactly how he feels. I've been coughing, having a sore throat, and runny nose. It's been hard even for me I can't imagine how hard it is for little Wes. If you read this, would you please lift us up in prayers? Thank you!