Austin's New Buddy

Congratulations to my sweet friend Ashley and her hubby Patrick! Ashley patiently endured 41 weeks of pregnancy and finally welcomed little Benjamin early this morning. I went to visit this afternoon. Sigh--it was so great to hold a newborn again. Austin is not a snuggly little guy--I miss holding someone who doesn't fight to get out of your arms! And he's so little--I really had forgotten just how tiny babies are. So precious!

Whew!

I just finished hosting a neighborhood coffee for the IUP Women's Club. Good thing I decided to have it on a Thursday: it took a little bit of work every day this week (except for yesterday when it took a lot of work) to get everything ready, but I managed even with Austin rolling around requesting attention. I think ten or eleven people came, including a few fellow mommies who brought their kids, and we all had a good time eating and talking. As usual when I entertain, I have A TON of food left. I am already brainstorming uses for the leftover cheese from my cheese platter (quesadillas? pizza?) and if you live in the Indiana, PA area you just might get a surprise gift of baked goods.

But now I am worn out! There are dishes all over the kitchen waiting to be loaded in the dishwasher, platters that need to be washed and put away, a very crumby (that's a word, right?) tablecloth that needs to be shaken out...but I am sitting on my bed reading blogs and facebook updates while Austin naps. Sigh. I will be sorry later if I don't get up and do something about that mess soon...

Zoo Day

Zach is on Spring Break this week. Although he always finds plenty to keep him busy during time off from class, we set aside today for a family fun day. Since the weather was pretty nice we decided to go to the Pittsburgh Zoo. (We seem to have a thing for going to zoos during spring break. The first year we were in CA we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo ; a few years later found us at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.) The zoo was fairly empty, which was great because there was never a crowd around any particular animal. We ate our lunch on a bench overlooking the gorilla enclosure, and had front row seats at elephant bathtime--probably couldn't do that on a visit in July.

Austin, understandably, is a little young to fully appreciate a zoo; I think seeing the other people walking around fascinated him more than the animals! He really loved the aquarium, though, maybe because the fish are only a few inches in front of you. We look forward to taking him back when he's a bit older.

Baby boy, baby elephant!

Austin watched this fish swim back and forth for several minutes. Adorable!

Pictures from our Trip

Grandma saved a bunch of toys from when I was little. Austin couldn't get enough of pulling on the string and watching the bear roll toward him.

Grandpa fed Austin breakfast most mornings.

That Uncle Andrew is always doing something silly.

Now here's something I never thought I'd see: my dad playing Rock Band. If you know my dad you understand.

You might remember from my trip last September that Aunt Megan's cats were wary of the little blond creature that came to visit. Nothing changed. Can you tell from the picture that Zadie is trying to back away from Austin?

Still not crawling or walking, but Austin is getting pretty steady on his feet if he has something to hold onto.

Headed home at last. We were fortunate to have a row to ourself on both legs of the flight.

A Few Little Updates

Austin and I are in the middle of a nine-day visit to Grandpa Russ and Grandma Susan's house in Missouri. After a few minutes of wondering who the strangers were who wanted to hold him when we got off the plane, he warmed right up and now can't seem to get enough of his grandparents. He loves Grandma's tickles and sitting in the sink every morning while Grandpa shaves. (Just like my sister and I used to do, I'm told.) Several exciting features of the trip:

• He has been sleeping through the night despite being away from home, something he has not done on any previous trips.
• His first tooth appeared on Wednesday. I think the second will probably come up before we go home, it's so close to the surface.

I have not been too good about taking pictures since we got here; I will try to do better during the second half of our trip and perhaps post some in a few days.

Little Cheater

If you watched the video in my post a few days ago, you know that Austin is pretty good at making baskets with the little basketball hoop he got for Christmas. He really likes the red numbers that light up and flash when you make a basket. Pretty fun to watch. But check this out.

Austin has figured out that you don't actually need to put a ball in the hoop to get those nifty red lights. Just stick your hand into the hoop, press the little button, and voila! All the excitement of a basket with less effort.

The Proof is in the Pudding (or the Cupcake)

On this Valentine's Day, how do I know Zach loves me? Because he had nothing but smiles and kind words when our Valentine's dessert turned out like this.

What in the world, you say. They are (supposed to be) heart-shaped cupcakes. I got some silicone molds at Michael's a few weeks ago and I have been very excited about trying them out. The result is not exactly the beautiful romantic treat I had in mind. Offhand I can think of about five things I could have done differently during the baking process that might have contributed to success, but this is what we have for now. Bless his heart, Zach's attitude seems to be "We have cake, we have icing, they taste good, who cares what they look like?" I am so thankful for this man!

Ten Months

Austin turned ten months old yesterday. How about some cute pictures to celebrate?

The other day I was feeling organizational so I sorted all the toys in Austin's room into piles and put him in the middle to see what he'd do. He went for the drum that plays songs when you move it.

Sleepy baby. He just woke up.

Cuddling after his bath.

I'm sure Daddy was doing something to make him laugh.

Just plain cute.

And finally, a little video montage from the last few weeks.

Just a Few Things

Wow, I've been really bad about posting lately. I haven't taken many videos or pictures of Austin and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. But just in case I have any blog readers left, I thought I'd just tell a little bit of what has been going on around here.

• Austin and I survived three days without Zach. (It was the first time we were home on our own without him.) God was so gracious to give me/Austin two really good days: he napped well, played happily by himself for long stretches, and slept through the nights needing no more than a pat on the back here and there. The third day was a little rougher--Austin napped less than an hour and a half all day--but knowing that Zach would be home soon made it bearable.
• Austin is almost crawling. Between rolling, stretching, and scooting, he manages to surprise me with how far he can get. Just this morning, he was playing on the living room rug in front of me. I looked down at the computer for a few minutes, looked back up at him, and he was practically underneath the futon!
• We bought Wii Fit last week. I love it. I get a little annoyed when the Body Test tells me my Wii Fit age is 41 just because I can't walk in place on the balance board the way I'm supposed to, but otherwise it's great. If Austin will stay asleep past the end of this post I think I'll do a little yoga!
• I have been pretty faithful to the 5 AM club, if getting up at 5:15 to 5:30 counts. I have tried getting up early to have my quiet time many times in the past but I feel like this is the first time it has really worked for me. I think in the past I have felt an obligation to do so but not really a desire. But in this season of my life I'm finding that I can focus on reading and prayer so much better in the morning so I really enjoy being up early.
• Most people around here looked forward to last night's big game because of, well, the big game. I looked forward to it because Zach and I decided a few days ago that we would order pizza during the game. And the pizza did not disappoint me--ham and pineapple from Venice Pizzeria. Sooooo yummy.
• We have now had snow on the ground for about two and a half weeks. More is expected this week. I have kind of gotten used to winter weather, but it does make going out with Austin a bit difficult. If I go downtown, where most of the parking is parallel, I have to climb over huge piles of snow to get him out of his carseat, and it's not the best weather for the stroller. So we're not getting out as much as I'd like.
• Did I mention after Austin's last doctor appointment that he weighs 22 pounds? So you can see why I'm not eager to go out much without benefit of the stroller!

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone! Punxsutawney Phil apparently predicted six more weeks of winter this morning. I HOPE that's all we get!

A Few Random Pictures that Illustrate Our Week

It has been a rough few days around the Collins household. Austin, my MIL Becky who was visiting, and myself all got sick with a stomach bug Saturday night. Austin and I have gotten a little better every day and thankfully Becky felt better on Monday when she had to fly home but then Zach got sick in the middle of Monday night. He stayed home yesterday but was able to go back to work today. I am feeling mostly better and spent today trying to bring some semblance of order back to my home, although I am now exhausted from the effort.

Austin has been in a remarkably good mood the past few days, despite his illness. He enjoyed his time with Gran a lot.

I made these cookies Saturday night. They are delicious. I haven't eaten a single one since then! If that's not proof that I'm not feeling well, I don't know what is.

This is what happens to your laundry when your whole family gets sick. No joke, I bet I have changed Austin's clothes a dozen times in the last two days. I think I did about half of these loads today. More laundry fun tomorrow!

This is for all you SoCal folks who keep taunting me with your "I'm really enjoying the 80 degree weather" Facebook status updates. (I love you all!) Do YOU have icicles like that? Didn't think so. Anyway, as you can see, we've had a wee bit of snow around here. Too bad I didn't aim the camera a bit more to the left...you'd see the thermometer on our back porch reading about 10 degrees when I stepped outside to take the picture.

Thoughts from Joshua

Search the Scriptures is taking me through Joshua right now. This morning I read chapter 7, which tells how Israel was defeated at Ai because a man called Achan had, against God's instructions, taken plunder from Jericho. One man's sin affected the entire nation. Because of his actions, Achan and his household were stoned to death and their bodies burned.

Now this is one of those Old Testament stories that often makes me think, "wow, pretty harsh punishment for a few little mistakes." But the study questions asked me to read these two passages

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

...and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

The combination of all these passages of Scripture really brought home the meaning of Romans 6:23--"For the wages of sin is death." Someone always dies for sin. Our holy God can't overlook sin. Achan died for his own sin. But we don't have to because Christ died instead. Wow.

Zach pointed out that people often accuse God of being inconsistent, a harsh punisher in the Old Testament and a God of love in the New Testament. But instead these passages show that God's standards have not changed: sin deserves death. And just like Achan, there are many today who will die for their own sin because they would not come to God on His terms.

Using Time Wisely

Zach went back to school today, so I am trying to get back to our regular routine around here. I have let household work slide a bit while he was off, and of course it was nice to have another parent around to share in playing with Austin, changing diapers, feeding him, etc. But now it's back to full-time mommy responsibility.


Ironically, this transition is coming on the heels of two things that tempt me to waste significant amounts of time: I joined Facebook about a week ago and we bought a Wii on Friday. So to help ensure that I use at least part of my time wisely, I joined the 5 AM club today as advocated by the Girltalkers. The idea is that you get up early so you first have time to spend with God and second have time to serve your husband and children. 5:15 is actually the rising time I settled on that would work for our family.

So how did it go? Pretty well, I'd say. I don't really have trouble getting up early as long as I go to bed at a reasonable hour (meaning resisting the temptation to play Wii until 11 PM). I got up at 5:15, started making coffee, made Zach's lunch while the coffee was brewing...and then I heard Austin's little voice at 5:30. He has been waking up early most mornings and I think the blame is squarely on me and Zach. During Zach's vacation I started feeding Austin if he woke up early and putting him back to bed (or letting him doze in our bed) so we could all get more sleep. Now I am trying to break Austin of that and get him to sleep until at least 6:30. But this morning he cried on and off until 6:20 (10 minutes before I was going to rescue him from his misery), at which time he fell asleep until 7:30! So although my quiet time was not so quiet, I was able to have it and also shower, eat breakfast, and get a few little things done before Austin woke up. Hopefully Austin will get the idea and sleep a little longer as the week goes on, but not bad for a start.

Latest videos and pictures

Austin loves to be pushed around on his bulldozer. He will actually push off with his feet if given the chance, but his balance isn't good enough to ride around on his own.

Austin has gotten quite vocal of late. "Ba-ba-ba" is definitely his favorite word, but he occasionally makes some "pa," "ma," or "da" sounds. He is also very helpful with the laundry.

Our happy little guy...

For all the P and P fans out there

I know a decent chunk of my readership are fans of Pride and Prejudice; a decent chunk are also members of Facebook. And since I joined Facebook only yesterday, it seems a most wonderful coincidence that I found this link today, and I just can't resist sharing. So here you go: Pride and Prejudice, the Facebook news feed version. It had me laughing out loud.

New Year, and Reflections on the Old

Wow, is 2008 over already? It seems like such a short time since I was welcoming 2008 and marveling that it was finally the year in which I would become a parent. To say that life changed this year would be an understatement. I understand now how caring for a newborn can take every minute of your day, even though on the surface feeding, diapering, and napping doesn't sound like so much. I understand now that "sleeping through the night" is a relative term. I understand now that burp cloths are a girl's best friend...and cheap shirts that can afford to get spit up on. I understand how selfish I really am, but how God gives grace to overcome that. I understand the joy of seeing your child smile for the first time. I am starting to understand the awesomeness of the responsibility of introducing Austin to God.


Here at the end of Austin's first calendar year, I want to say a special thank you to all my mommy friends, especially all you girls out west that I haven't seen in so long. The phone calls, emails, and blog comments encouraged me so much and have helped me through some really tough times. I am so blessed by your friendship and wisdom.


I thought it would be fun to do a little photo retrospective to see just how much Austin has changed in the 267 days since he joined our family. Amazing, is all I can say after looking at these pics myself.