Amy Scott's Thoughts

Not Mine December 7, 2013

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Bible,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 3:24 pm

The Christmas season has me reflecting on Mary. I was thinking about what it must have been like to be the mother of the Son of God. Yes, Jesus was her baby, but she knew that he was here for a deeper purpose than her own enjoyment. She must have known from the start that the greatness of their story would also mean hardship. She would have to keep her open hands with him – ready to give him back to God. It wasn’t about what she wanted. She had to let go of control and trust that God’s purpose was better than any earthly plans she might have this little life.

I think a lot of life is like. Only in the last few years have I learned how very little I control. This control freak has learned that I can control my own actions and reactions, but everything else is out of my hands. I can relate this now to parenting. Let’s talk about trying for a baby. That certainly didn’t happen on my timeline. Not that I had a timeline, but let’s just say it took longer than I expected. It taught me just how much God is really the author of life. Then there is the pregnancy process. A baby grows inside of you – regardless of what you… Your body just does it. I didn’t have to focus on it and will the baby to grow because the process was already set in motion. I had issues with my blood pressure and there was nothing I could about that. There was no willing my body to do something different. It just was the situation. Plain and simple. During the labor process, I realized that Owen was going to come into the world regardless of what I thought things were going to be like. I was out of control. I had to trust my doctor and make what seemed like the wisest decisions, but I didn’t look at Jeremy say “Let’s have our baby now – this time, this day.” Things just happen and you can go with the flow or you can freak out.

Now that Owen is here, I am reminded that I have no control over him as a parent. I can meet his needs and do my best to make sure he is well taken care of. But that doesn’t mean he won’t cry. It doesn’t mean he’ll always be happy. I can’t just tell him what to do and have him do it. He is already his own person. From the very beginning, I have prayed that Owen will come to know the Lord has his Savior and that he will fall madly in love with Jesus. I pray that he will be a good, kind man. I pray that he will live with integrity and love others well. But… I am not in control of him doing this. Yet again, I can do my best to raise him right, but ultimately these decisions are his. I can’t make them for him. God has given Jeremy and I the gift of raising Owen and being his parents, but really he is not mine. He is God’s first and foremost. I am only a trusted caregiver. I can do my best but the rest is up the Lord to touch his heart.

Both books that I’ve been reading recently reference Abraham and God asking him sacrifice Isaac on the alter. I find that when something comes up multiple times, God is trying to speak to me. This story flows perfectly with my pondering on Mary and parenting with open hands. Now I didn’t have to wait 100 years to be a parent, so I can only imagine how tightly Abraham wanted to hold on to Isaac. This was the long awaited, promised child. But Abraham was willing to give him up and trust God. Wow. I can’t fathom what that must have been like. Mark Batterson puts it this way in his book All In, “The truth of the matter is that you can’t really say mine about anything! Nothing belongs to you – not your house, not your car, not your clothes. Every material thing you own is a by-product of the time, talent and treasure God has given you.” While this quote references material items, I would go one step further and say the same is true about parenting. Owen is a treasure for sure. He is a God given gift. It’s up to me to daily give him back to the Lord and say not my will, but yours. I don’t want to be one of those parents who figure Owen’s life out for him. I don’t want to force my will and wishes on him. I want him to grow up to do whatever the Lord places on his heart. I want to inspire and encourage his dreams, not be an obstacle to them. I want him to be himself, the way the Lord uniquely made him. I want his personality to shine.

Just like most things in life, it’s not about me. It’s about Owen and God and this precious season I have to point a way toward the light. I want to reflect God’s love to Owen. I want to parent with open hands. I want to be willing to follow God’s voice no matter where it leads me. I want to trust that God has a better plan for Owen than I do. Just like Mary, I have to be prepared to let God do what he will. Our kiddos are entrusted to us for a short season and than they’ll be adults doing their own thing and living their own lives. My prayer is that is that I will be a mom who loves deeply and holds loosely. He is not mine. He is God’s. He is not here for my purposes, he is here for God’s. What an exciting opportunity and what a joy to be able to watch his life grow and unfold.

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Being an Adventurer! December 5, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 3:53 pm

Owen visits the mall!

I’ve never been much of an adventurer. That daring, bold spirit has never resided in me. I’m cautious and calculated. I like to know what I’m getting into and I want guarantees that things are going to work out. Since Owen has entered my life I’ve gotten in touch with my adventurous side. I honestly thought that once Jeremy went back to work I would sit at home with the baby all day long. I was scared. Doing things alone meant all eyes were on me if something wasn’t going right. It was a lot of pressure. But I’m learning that getting out and about isn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. Yes, it takes extra time, but it’s totally doable.

On Monday, Owen and I drove up to Tukwila to have to lunch with my friend, Maggie. He was a trouper for the hour and a half car ride up. He survived 3 diapers and feedings in the car. The second of those diaper changes involved a poopy diaper that went up this back and got all over his clothes and the changing pad. It was glorious. It’s always a little nerve wracking taking Owen into a restaurant, especially without Jeremy, but Owen went to sleep pretty quickly and I was grateful. After our meal, Owen, Maggie and I walked around the mall together. It was fun because this was my first time being in a mall for the holidays. I love all the decorations and the hub bub of the Christmas season. As I was getting ready to pack up, Maggie pointed out that the stroller wasn’t folding up well because the diaper bag was still in it! Oops! Gotta love having an audience for moments like those.

Back in the classroom! Gingerbread House Competition!

Last night was my first night returning to teaching my Wednesday night class. I had planned to keep Owen with me so all the girls could see him. Once they had a preview and a lot of gushing, I decided to drop Owen off at the nursery for the first time. It did a feel a little weird having someone watch him when I was so close by, but lucky for me, my class kept me pretty distracted. I was able focus in on them. I had the urge to check on Owen occasionally, but I knew he was okay. I had a pager that they would use if he really needed me, so I pushed the urge to check on him away. It was so sweet to pick him up after church. It was good to have a little time away from him and to do something that I love, but I was glad to have him back with me once it was all over. Getting out of church was a little harder because the Wednesday night crowd hadn’t seen him yet. Jeremy is a proud dad and took Owen around to show him off while I got gas in my car. First time in the nursery was something I was a little nervous about so I’m glad that it went well and that milestone is now behind us.

Today I loaded up the car and drove down to Longview to hang out with my sister-in-law and nephew. I took the stroller into Target so that way I wouldn’t have a cart and therefore wouldn’t buy anything. That idea failed me and I ended up buying raccoon pajamas for Owen. They were just too cute to pass up. I knew I shouldn’t have gone into the baby aisle. Jeremy loves raccoons and these jammies have the zipper front that Jeremy likes for diaper changes. It seemed like fate. The morning was well spent walking and talking. Time with other moms is fun because they understand where I am and I got to see my super cute nephew. It was a definite win for me!

As I was wandering around the stores and traveling this morning, I realized that I’m not as intimidated as I once was about being out with Owen. I’m starting to get my groove and mommyhood is clicking a bit more. I find the more I’m out and about the more human I feel. Yes, it can be tiring to be on the go, but I’m learning that it’s tiring to both me and Owen. The more out of the house we are, the better Owen sleeps at night. All the stimulation really gets to him. We’ve been having great nights of 5+ hours of sleep on a regular basis. Last night after the evening at church, Owen slept 7.5 hours. Going out with him has it’s pay offs that is for sure!

So, I have decided that I am an adventurer. Instead of looking at these experiences with fear and worry, I have decided to view them as adventures. An adventure is a win when I get out and do it. It doesn’t matter if Owen is fussy or if he makes noise in a store. The true success is just getting out doing stuff. I will not let fear keep me inside and away from life. Now I’m not saying that home days are bad. They are great. I love home. I’m just learning that I’m not scared to get out. I’m grateful for these opportunities. I am growing and stretching. I can see changes in myself through these opportunities and I am embracing my inner adventurer!

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Advent December 4, 2013

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Bible — Amy Scott @ 1:47 pm

I love counting down to Christmas. As you can tell, I really get into Christmas. I love the sights and sounds. I love all of it. I love giving and lets be honest, receiving gifts. It’s just a whole lot of fun. The whole month feels like a party. It’s just hard not to feel jolly all the time. However, Christmas can be over commercialized. I understand that the stores make good money off the season. I purchase way too many beverages from Starbucks thanks to that special red cup… The true meaning of Christmas can get lost in all the activity that surrounds this time of year.

I usually do an advent calendar. The last few years I’ve used a homemade one that I decorated myself. It’s a tree with 24 drawers on it. Each day I pull a goodie out of it to countdown the days. My treat of choice is Candy Cane Kisses! Yum! Jeremy has a special peppermint bark candy in the drawers as well. The true purpose of Advent isn’t about a candy in a drawer. Advent is about a longing and anticipation. It’s about seeking the Savior. The greatest gift ever given is the reason we celebrate Christmas. It’s about God becoming man. It’s about God wanting a relationship with us, bridging the gap, coming to redeem his creation. How can you not long for a holiday with so much hope, so much love? We celebrate Emmanuel! God with us! We are not alone and we are deeply loved.

I’ve never been one to do Advent readings. Usually I have enough on my plate that I don’t have time (or I think I don’t) to add another reading into my life. This year I saw that one of my favorite authors, Ann Voskamp, had a Christmas book out. So I downloaded it (because that is how I roll these days, welcome to the digital era). I wasn’t expecting this, but it turns out that it’s an Advent book. 25 chapters all leading up to Christmas and what Christmas really means. There is a daily Scripture, a devotional thought and some questions to ponder and some action steps to do. Each day is short and simple. I’m finding it’s refreshing to read something daily that reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. It isn’t just about Christmas music or Christmas cookies or Christmas cards or Christmas movies. It’s so much more. Something so much deeper. I didn’t plan to spend my Advent season this way, but I’m so glad that I am. It’s an unexpected blessing to my daily routine.

Here is a quote that really got to me yesterday, ” Wise men are only wise because they make their priority the seeking of Christ.” I pray that for me and for you. I pray that we would use wisdom and make our priority the seeking of Christ. There is nothing better we can do at this time of year and all year round for that matter. It’s all about seeking Christ. It’s all about looking for our Savior. Anticipating his power in our life. The hope that comes from a relationship with him. I pray that I would make him the first priority of this season. I pray this for you too. Seek the Savior and you will find that the greatest love story of all time can be your story as well. We are a part of the Christmas story because that baby came to earth for us. It’s not a tale from long ago. It’s here and now! These are just a few of the thoughts bouncing around my head today.

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O Christmas Tree! December 1, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 9:42 pm

Special Ornaments!

Today was Christmas Tree day in the Scott household. I think everything this time of year means more now that we have Owen. Picking out the tree was a little tricky because it was super rainy. I was a little concerned about Owen getting wet, so I stood under a covered awning while Jeremy looked for the best tree. I looked it over quickly, but really I just trusted Jeremy’s judgement. He did well! We got the tree home and it needed to dry out a bit. It was hard to wait, but I filled the time watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. Go figure! Once the tree was inside, we got down to business. Owen was fascinated by the Christmas lights. It was fun to watch him as he watched Jeremy put the lights on the tree. At one point, I left the room and came back to find Jeremy explaining each special ornament to Owen. There was the Snowman ornament he gave me when we first started dating, the ornament we purchased on our honeymoon, the ornament we purchased in Leavenworth before Owen was born to celebrate our family of three and Owen’s first Christmas ornament. It’s been a fun progression. Our tree tells a story. It’s not one of those theme trees. Our ornaments are a mismatch from our years together and some of them we brought to the marriage. It represents “us” in so many ways. I love it!

Today was a big day in other ways as well. Owen and I went to children’s church for the first time today. I haven’t been in the classroom since the end of September since I was put on bed rest at the beginning of October. It was good to be back, but kind of weird. It was a little hard on my brain focusing on the kids and focusing on Owen. There were questions about if they could hold Owen and I explained that since everyone couldn’t hold Owen no one was going to. The kids accepted that well. Some of them really wanted to touch him and the pacifier. I’m not too concerned about germs, but at the same time I didn’t want him coming away from church with a cold or something. Once he is a little older he’ll head to the nursery, but the nursery staff suggested we wait until he three months to put him in on a Sunday. I don’t mind having him near me this month. He did well and lasted almost 2 hours before needing his poopy diaper changed and the next meal. Once again, another big milestone has been reached and both Owen and I survived.

It was good day all around! We are so blessed and these are fun times! The love this season and the milestones!

Holiday Helper!

Daddy and Owen

The Scott Family

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Happy Thanksgiving November 30, 2013

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 11:20 am

Gobble Gobble! Our Little Turkey!

Jeremy and I were very excited for Thanksgiving this year. It was Owen’s first official holiday. Yes, there was Halloween, but I view holidays as a day where things are closed and people spend time with family and friends. Plus, we missed the opportunity for dressing him up for Halloween so this was the first holiday were he had a “special” outfit to wear. Yup, we’re that family! Jeremy had picked out a cute turkey onesie at Old Navy and I was excited to celebrate the day with our little turkey.

I’m not sure it will be like this every year, but we figured that Owen is still pretty portable these days and can sleep about anywhere. We have no routine or set schedule. We figured that it would be possible to do both families for Thanksgiving and we would just work our schedule around Owen if need be. Things worked out better than I expected. There were fussy moments at each family gathering, but for the most part Owen did great. I was very pleased. Since these were the first extended family gatherings for Owen to visit, I was prepared for him to be passed around from family member to family member. He did well with all the hand offs and he had many admirers.

One of the things I was looking forward to the most this year was the new babies on both sides of our family. At my family Thanksgiving, I got to meet Forrest. He is my cousin’s newest addition and he is 10 days younger than Owen. It was great to have both October babies together. It’s so fun that Owen will have a little friend his age to run around with the future. At Jeremy’s family gathering, I got to snuggle more with my newest nephew, Nolan. Both Owen and Nolan were hot potatoes being passed from person to person. It was great to see Jeremy’s parents with both their little grandsons. They did a wonderful job sharing their love and attention.

The Scott Family

There were two miracles that happened on Thanksgiving and flowed into the next day. Right now Owen is on a good sleep schedule. We’ve had many nights of 5-6 hour stretches of sleep. With all the simulation on Thursday, I thought for sure that Owen would have a good night’s sleep. I didn’t realize just how good he was going to sleep. Owen slept 8 hours for the first time! He got up for 20 minutes and then went back to sleep for another 3 hours! It was amazing. Truly a miracle in my book! The other miracle is the fact that his Thanksgiving onesie made it through the whole day without spit up or poop getting all over it. We had only one holiday outfit and two families to see. It wouldn’t have to been the end of the world to have him change in the middle of the day, but I wanted each group to see his little turkey outfit. It survived the whole day and he was still wearing it when we got home.

Things with Owen are going well. I’m starting to find my rhythm and things are starting to feel more natural. Motherhood is like learning a foreign language. It’s awkward at first and you know you’re not pronouncing the words quite right, but you know enough to get the job done. With time and experience, the words flow more freely and you find that you’re not thinking so much about if you’re doing it right. You’re just doing it. Because we’ve taken longer trips with Owen, I wasn’t too worried about this event being too long. My biggest concern was how Owen would respond to all the simulation and for the most part he did amazing. I’m glad that our families got to snuggle with him and have those moments. It was a great first thanksgiving as a family of three. I’m so blessed by our little family and I’m truly excited to see everyone again in less than a month for Christmas!

On a somewhat random note, everyone wanted to know how much Owen weighed at both gatherings. Because the babies are so close in age there was a lot of comparing the weights. I hadn’t weighed Owen in two weeks so yesterday I stepped onto the scale to see where our little guys was at. He is now 11 pounds even. Maybe it was because I didn’t hold him a lot on Thanksgiving, but yesterday he seemed bigger to me. It was like all of the sudden he grew up even more. I was laying him on the changing table in our room and noticed how long he is now. He almost fills it length wise now! Comparing my nephew’s face to Owen’s makes me realize that he really has lost that newborn look. He looks older. It’s a little mind blowing because the changes are so gradual to me and then all of the sudden I see the difference! Such a big boy these days. One last side note, Owen slept another 8 hours last night! Two days in a row! Pray with me that this is the new trend! I could get used to this!

Happy Baby!

8 hours of sleep!

Yay!

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Over the Mountains We Go November 25, 2013

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 6:49 pm

Family Fun!

This last Saturday, we loaded up the car early in the morning for our longest travels with Owen to date. We decided while the passes were good, we would travel over the mountains to see Jeremy’s brother’s family. It was a great day! I love watching my niece and nephew interact with their new cousin. Owen did amazing and I was really glad we made the trek over. It was fun to talk with them about the upcoming arrival of the next Scott grandkid. It seems like just yesterday I found out that all of the Scott households were expecting. Now Baby Nolan is here and in just a few weeks the next Scott will arrive. Being pregnant with my sister-in-laws was a very unique period of time and one I enjoyed. I remember at our joint baby shower in September, one sister-in-law mentioned that this was the last time we would all be together and be pregnant before the babies came. It seemed so far off that all our little bundles would be here and now two out of three have arrived. I love being an aunt and the joy just keeps multiplying. I also love that Owen has cousins. My niece and nephews warm my heart and I am so excited to learn soon if I’ll have another niece or nephew. Each one is so sweet and has their own personality. I’m looking forward to watching them grow up alongside my own son. I will admit that I’m slightly jealous of Owen. I never had a cousin that was my age. Well, I do, but he lives in the Midwest so I never had a relationship with him. That will not be the case for Owen. I am glad that he will have cousins close in age and close enough to visit. Even though the three hour drive can be a long one, seeing family and building those relationships is totally worth it. It’s so amazing to think the next time I see that branch of the Scott family tree they will be a family of five. These are seriously fun times. I knew being pregnant with these ladies was a special treat, but honestly the best is yet to come. Raising our families together is going to be such a joy! Yay for the baby boom and little ones arriving on the scene!

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It’s coming!!! November 24, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:22 pm

I had this cassette tape when I was little that was all Christmas songs. “We-Sing-Christmas” is what I think it was called. It was a series of sing-a-long tapes with words books so you could… well… sing a long. Not rocket science. Anyway, on the Christmas tape there was this song about Christmas coming, a goose getting fat and something about putting a penny in an old man’s hat. It’s a random song, but one that has been stuck in my head this weekend.

Since Thanksgiving falls very late in the month this year, Jeremy and I decided to do our Christmas decorating on Friday. Jeremy put up our Christmas lights and we started to decorate the inside of the house. I will admit that I was torn. I don’t usually decorate before Thanksgiving, but this year if I wanted help, I needed to do this weekend. Next weekend Jeremy will be out chasing the beast (deer season for archery reopens on Wednesday). I usually do the decorating inside by myself and then Jeremy and I decorate the tree together. This year I took a wild guess and assumed that with Owen around I would need another set of hands. I was right. Jeremy actually ended up hanging with Owen while I put up a majority of the decorations. I was so grateful for Jeremy’s help because with him, I would have been hanging with Owen instead of hanging up stockings (with care, but not by the chimney).

There was a lot of debate in the Christmas aisle of Target. It’s a big decision choosing your son’s first Christmas stocking. A big deal! I found a stocking online that I really liked and it looked navy with a cute deer on it. However, in the store, it turned out to be purple. Now I have nothing against the color purple. It’s a lovely color. But… I thought about 5-6 years down the road and I saw a bigger Owen throwing a fit that his stocking is purple and that’s a girl color. However, by the time Owen is 6 the world might be so politically correct that he will never know colors are associated with certain genders. Maybe he’ll be asking me why he doesn’t have a pink stocking. This might be a battle that I will never win. This lead us to choosing a penguin stocking for him in the very gender neutral color of red. It’s Christmas. You can’t beat the color red (or green), it’s an instant winner. So now we have 4 stockings on the wall because yes, Toby has a stocking too. It’s fun to see the stocking collection grow. The funny story is that we don’t fill our stockings in this household. I do get a stocking from Santa each year, but it’s the strangest thing, it always gets delivered to my in-laws house. Santa must not know where I live or something. Anyway, next year we’ll probably do a stocking for Owen, but since his memory won’t include his first Christmas this “Santa” is saving the bucks for later. I have a feeling Owen will still get something from Santa – most likely at my in-laws. Just a guess…

I know some of you out there probably hate me right now for already having my house decorated and for blogging about it. I know for you I should be ashamed, not proud. Oh well. I will march to the beat of my Christmas drums. *Insert some pun about the little drummer boy that I am not creative enough to come up with right now* I love Christmas. I love this time year. I’m not ashamed of my love for Christmas music, Christmas lights, red cups, peppermint, Christmas shopping and more! By the way, I am happy to say that my Christmas shopping is officially started thanks to Amazon.com. No, it’s not the same as hitting the holiday decorated malls (another thing I love), but at least I have gifts on the way and that makes me happy. On Friday, I bought my wrapping paper, so I’ll be ready for those gifts when they come. I love wrapping presents!

As you can tell, there is very little I don’t love about this season. Egg nog. I don’t love egg nog. Too thick. Gross! So yes, there is my Grinch side. Don’t ask me to have a festive cup of holiday egg nog. Oh and ugly sweaters. My MOPS group is having an ugly sweater contest at our upcoming Christmas party and I’m doomed because I don’t own a single ugly sweater or “festive” sweater as they call it. The closest thing I have to a holiday wardrobe is penguin socks. If only it was a sock contest.

Well, that’s the update with me. I have a Hallmark movie to get back to. I’ve been watching all the new premieres on Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas. I’m fairly positive that if it was made before 2013, I have seen every Hallmark Christmas movie. Yikes. It’s scary to admit that. My only excuse is that one year I was very sick around Christmas time and watched them all. The only upside to being sick is endless movie watching… which brings me to my last point – I pulled out White Christmas and The Muppet’s Christmas Carol today. I wanted them on stand by for holiday cheer in the upcoming weeks. I know that are both on totally different ends of the movie spectrum, but both are classics in their own right. At least that is my humble holiday opinion.

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Done with Doctors! November 22, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:32 am

I hate all things medical!!! I mean hate! I strongly dislike every time I walk into a medical office. In my mind these are places of torture. I have nothing against medical professionals, I just wish I didn’t have to see them – ever. As you can imagine this last year as been a fun one for me. Being pregnant meant regular doctors visits and blood work. I always look away like my arm is being amputated when I have to do blood work. It totally grosses me out. Many appointments and blood pressure issues led me to the whole giving birth hospital stay. If I thought giving blood was gross… well, let’s just say, I looked away a lot while in the hospital. No dignity. Everyone in your business. Somethings you just have to grin and bear. Once Owen arrived on the scene, we had multiple doctor’s appointment for him because of his issue with jaundice. During that season, I also got a UTI and had to go to the doctor for myself. Fast forward a few weeks, I just had my 6 week postpartum appointment. My regular prescription for my acid reflux is up and I have to go back to the doctor to get a refill and oh goodie, because it’s been so long since they’ve seen me they want blood work. Blood work is becoming the bane of my existence. And yes, we have Owen’s two month appointment in about a week. The Scott’s have been very medically exciting these days. I’m pretty sure our insurance company now assumes all incoming claims belong to us. They probably get the paperwork and groan “Again! What’s wrong with these people.” Yup, they know us by name, I’m sure. Oh well. 2013 has been a big year for us. I’m fairly positive will meet our deductible for the first time ever. I guess when we do something we go all out. Here’s hoping that Owen’s next appointment is the last doctor’s visit for this calendar year because I am done with doctor’s appointments and anything medical! Blah!!!

Side note: Jeremy is as healthy as a horse (I don’t get this expression). At least one member of our family isn’t a drain on our HSA. I’m slightly jealous. Arg.

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Sad Dog November 21, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 11:45 am

One family member has felt the arrival of Owen more deeply than any other. That family member would be our Toby. This dog is a sensitive soul. He has always been very tuned into our schedule and our routine. If we divert from the regular flow of life, Toby lets us know. He usually isn’t too happy about it. So, you can imagine how he feels about our new way of life now. Many people asked us how we thought Toby would do with a baby. It’s a reasonable question. Toby was our “baby” for over three years before we had a human baby. We expected it to be an adjustment for all of us. Toby does well with Owen. He behaves himself just fine. However, something tragic has happened. I do believe we have killed Toby’s spirit. The spark has gone out of his puppy eyes. He knows that things are different and he can’t say he is happy about it. I think Toby likes late night feedings the least of all of us. He groans at us if we have to move him out of the way. He would prefer that we let sleeping dogs sleep. Understandable. I would like a little more sleep myself. There are moments where Toby will come up to me and sit on my lap or sleep by me during the day and I try my best to love on him in those moments. I want things to feel as normal as possible for him. I’ve also tried my best to take him for walks on sunny days because these are always great adventures for him and they tire him out. He is a happy pup on walk days. I’ve also feed him more people food than I should in the last six weeks. I’m trying to cover my guilt with scraps. I know that a day will come where Toby’s memory of the family three will fade and his new normal will be our family of four. But that time has not come yet. He still remembers when he was the center of attention. So far now I will keep bribing my pup in hopes that his sensitive soul will be encouraged and that spark will return. Poor sad dog!

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34 Days! November 20, 2013

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 4:17 pm

It’s that time of year!

Once my countdown to Owen was over I knew I needed new countdowns in my phone to look forward to. Right now we are at 34 days till Christmas and I will admit that it is starting to feel like winter here in the Scott household. In true tradition, I have had way too many peppermint hot chocolates in lovely red cups. This last weekend Starbucks had a BOGO offer for holiday drinks, so we got free drinks three days in a row. Bliss! Another tradition is listening to Christmas music on the way to our children’s leadership conference. I love Christmas music and it was so much fun to sing along to my favorites on the drive up north. On Sunday, I pulled out my penguin dishes. Now these are more wintery than Christmasy so I use them from November through February. I love my skating penguins! They make me so happy! With daylight savings, the days are getting shorter and darker. The weather has turned cold. We’ve started having fires in our woodstove. I know it’s still fall for another month, but winter is creeping in and I’m happy to welcome it. Soon we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with family and then it’s decorating the house for Christmas. Jeremy is even planning on putting up our Christmas lights this weekend since the weather will be nice. These are good days! I love the holidays! Now all I need to do is start my Christmas shopping. Those who know me well know that I am usually done with my Christmas shopping by this time, but it’s a different year for the Scott household.

In other random news, here are more Owen milestones. On Friday into Saturday night, Owen slept for 6 hours! This was a first and it’s yet to happen again, but 6 hours of sleep is amazing!!! On Sunday, I spent a good part of my afternoon in Owen’s room sorting through newborn clothes and putting them in a box. Most of his newborn clothes are too short on him because he is such a long baby. I pulled out this three month clothes and got them ready for him to wear. Some of the three month stuff is still too big, but he is slowly growing into it. He is no longer wearing newborn diapers and newborn clothes… It made me realize that he is no longer a newborn! It’s hard to believe that he is 6 weeks old already. The days are really flying by. Another first would be the fact that I got two hours to myself on Sunday! Jeremy suggested I pump a bottle so he could take Owen over his parent’s house. Jeremy and his dad were both watching the Seahawks game so Jeremy figured they could do that together. What did I do with my free time? Well, in true Amy fashion, I cleaned the house. I also wrote thank you cards, pulled out the penguin dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher, baked pumpkin bread, ordered address labels, showered, and did Jeremy’s laundry. It’s amazing what I can get done in two hours when I’m not constantly checking in on a baby. This was my first time baking since Owen was born and it felt great to get back into the kitchen. Owen has been doing great taking a bottle from Jeremy once a day and the freedom that I means for me is very exciting!

Here are few pictures from around the house. Just a glimpse into our world right now.