I can’t believe it’s been 2 months since Caleb was born and I wrote my last pregnancy journal post. All I did was blink and POOF, time passed! It seems like the last few months of pregnancy takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r., doesn’t it? Then once you have your baby, time makes up for it’s lack of movement. Sheesh!
All is well on the baby front. Caleb had his 2 month chick up today and he’s a whopper! He’s at 14 ½ lbs and 23 ¾ “ long. He’s already grown out of the 0-3 mths clothing and into the 3-6 mths ones, plus, in a few more months he’s going to be too big and too long for the infant car seat (at least I hope we make it a few more months!). We have an extra reversible car seat, it’s just not as convenient to take him in and out of the car with since the car seat stays in the car at all times, you know? My dr. made the comment “that must be some high octane breast milk you got there!”. I guess that’s one way of putting it. 
He is sleeping 7-9 hours a night. None of my other children slept like this at 9 weeks and I’m not complaining! If he keeps this up a little longer, he’ll be moving into the boys room, into his own crib. But we’ll see, for he’s currently my alarm clock and I get up after I nurse him in the mornings. It’s kind-a nice being woke up by his grunts instead of a loud “beep”. Have you ever heard of an umbilical hernia? I hadn’t until about 4 weeks ago. As the days were passing, I noticed that Caleb’s belly button was getting bigger. Adam thought I was being silly, but it really was. And is. As it turns out, an umbilical hernia is what he has and it won’t be going away for at least the 1st year. It doesn’t pain him or bother him in any way, it’s just funny to look at. I told Adam that I thought it looked cute and he said, “You would”. It’s a mother thing, I guess. 
School is going really well so far. Not being a scheduled person by nature, school hasn’t always gone smoothly. And, much to my shame, sometimes it hasn’t even happened each day. So far, I haven’t gotten into the rut of not doing anything productive. It’s not a heavy schedule, for I’m not a believer of making the children do a lot of book work. I think learning and gaining knowledge happens with real life and real life doesn’t happen sitting down reading a book or doing a work book. (Although these things are necessary at times. You need to learn math this way, as well as history. But things like science should be more hands on and incorporated with real life.)
We have the contract for the “meals on wheels” county program for 2012. We had to increase the plate price by $.50 and we were very nervous about that, due to the county having budget cuts. From August 2010 – August 2011, our food prices have increased and average of 21%! We also petitioned the Commission on Aging board for an increase of the same amount for the rest of our 2011 contract, which they also agreed to. We have also be getting little bits of catering here and there, although not as much as last year. The economy is hitting everyone, I guess. Either way, the Lord is taking care of us very well, as only He can. 
We’ve been having some anger and behavioral issues lately in our house (mainly with our older girls) and so Adam and I have made some changes. Not in the way one would think, though. The changes that have been made have to do with ourselves and the use of our time. You see, Adam enjoys genealogy (he’s even published a book of his family, from 1638-2001) and he can spend hours and hours looking up this person or that family. I enjoy reading blogs on the computer, as well as sewing (I’m really into making quilts and all things crafty these days, as well as the needed article of clothing). When we are both doing our particular activity of choice, what are the children doing? Who’s supervising them? No one. That’s not a good thing. If we are more involved with our children, many of the troublesome issue/arguments/fights that arise would be nipped in the bud before it even gets going. There is also the issue of the anger the girls have been having with everyone. I’ve never been an angry person, but I realized that when I’m doing what I want to do, and I’m interrupted, I’m cranky. Annoyed. Irritated. When I talk to them, or finally pay attention to the racket they are making, I’m sounding angry because I have been interrupted. Adam has done the same thing when he’s on the computer. This is not right.
Our solution? We have made the commitment that the use of computer time, for personal use, not for the business or for school needs, will be limited to after the children are in bed or before they get up in the mornings. The same for my sewing. We both see that we need to spend more time with our children, doing the things that they want to do (with in reason of course). We are now playing more games with each other and we are striving to show them that they are more important to us then the computer, or genealogy or sewing or whatever past time things you want to include here. Even though it’s been about a week, we have seen much improvement. This is very encouraging and quite humbling, knowing we should have done this all along instead of being selfish with doing the things we wanted to do, instead of doing what we need to do.
Life is full of this, isn’t it? Having to decided between the things you should do and the things you want to do. That’s also the mark of maturity, something I’m striving to teach my children. If you do what needs to be done first, then doing what you want to do after wards is much more sweeter. The old saying “actions speak louder then words” is so true. By my actions I want to teach my children that they are more important to me then anything else, after Jesus.
There are rumors of snow coming soon here and I sure hope they are right! I’m ready for the snow to fly! 
Grace and Caleb. A boy is never too young for a car, right?