Happy Birthday, Mom!

I just wanted to wish my mom a happy birthday!

50% Off Ends This Wednesday

Don't forget about this! Be sure to email me ASAP if you want to take advantage of this offer:

Now through April 30, I am offering
50% off any of these NEW products
and
40% off any of your old favorites!
You must place your order through me to get this special deal,
so email me very soon to get 40% off anything in the Arbonne catalog and half off any of the new goodies!
laurenbenesh@gmail.com

Because There Aren't Enough Pictures of Noah

Johanna informed me today that I don't post enough pictures of Noah. Do you know what this means, people? This means I now have permission to put more pictures up! Do you think I needed more than one invitation? No.

I have actually tried to restrain myself, knowing that most people would not appreciate a plethora of pictures like close family would, and I didn't wish to subject the rest of you to what you'd probably think is boring. But, honestly, these pictures are not boring.

Basically, it's a sequence of pics that we took doing the whole Kisses From Curious George thing. I think it's so cute how his eyes light up and his smile gets huge. Aww.

Kisses from Curious George

Geordi LaForge

After years and years of putting Lauren's headbands across his eyes and saying, "Who am I?" Nathan finally found something to make his Geordi LaForge impression even greater.


If you get this reference, you'll laugh. If you don't know who Geordi LaForge is, you won't think this is funny even if I explain it to you. (That wasn't meant to be snooty; it's more that this is a really nerdy reference.)

Springtime

One of the reasons I love New England is that there are actually seasons here.

In Houston, you have summer, summer, about four days of fall, a smattering of cold, rainy winter days, a few bluebonnety spring days, then summer, summer, and summer.

But in Boston, you have a real fall and a real spring. And both are very nice. Last week, I went out and took a few pictures. I took the first two on a walk to the grocery store. The third one was actually taken in Cambridge a couple of years ago, but I just like it a lot. :) It's actually the desktop on my computer.

Click on them; they're purty:




On Friday, Kendra, Hannah, Noah, and I went to Mount Auburn Cemetery to walk around. It's a national historic landmark as well as an arboretum, so I knew that it'd be really pretty and blooming. And it was a beautiful, sunny day. Interesting note: this is the first cemetery in the U.S. to be called a cemetery. Before that, they were all called "graveyards" or "burial grounds," I guess.

This is the view from the front gate, where you drive in. I like the gothic chapel:

Blooming trees

Noah and me under a magnolia tree. I don't know what's up with his frowny face. Maybe the sun was bothering him.

A view of downtown Boston from a nice hill.

Same Boston view, including Noah, to prove we were there. :)

Cutie pie.

It's Time

It's time for a blog makeover, people.

So I have been browsing some design websites, and I found a few that I like, including Fabulous K Designs. Her stuff is really cute! Go check it out. You can even enter to get your own free blog makeover.

Cutie

Weekend Happenings

So guess what we got this weekend. A RUG!


Finally! We've been wanting to get a rug for a long time but just now went out and did it. We figured that Noah will be crawling before long, and it sure would be nice of his parents to provide a soft surface for that. Plus, Lauren has been wanting a rug to warm up our living room and bring some color into it for forever. Nathan and I both like it a lot.

We also went to Cabot's on Saturday. Cabot's is a 50's diner-slash-ice cream shop. (We were thinking of you, Damien and Sara!) The last time we were there, Nathan got a ridiculously ginormous $9 banana split (somehow he was thinking this would not be that much food), and it ended up being enough ice cream for four people, easily. Because he ordered it, he was determined to eat it, so Damien, Sara, and I sat there and watched him eat so much ice cream that he felt totally gross at the end. So that banana split has been our little joke for a couple of years now. Anyway, so we went back this weekend, I had the best turkey burger I've ever had, and Nathan got a normal-sized banana split. Or, truthfully, the size for two people instead of four (all the portions there are huge). I wish I had taken my camera to get a picture of their ice cream, because it really was magnificent. Plus, Noah was really cute. Oh well. Next time.

Church was good this week, too. Our minister has started a series on Zechariah. He's an Old Testament scholar, so he periodically does series on books I've never heard preached on, like Zechariah or Malachi, which I think is cool. The last couple of weeks he has talked a bit about the term "Lord Almighty," which is also translated "Lord of Hosts." I always thought that "hosts" referred to angels, but it doesn't. It refers to armies. So when you read "Lord Almighty," now you know that you're really reading about the Lord of Armies, which I suppose refers to armies of angels, so it is sort of "Lord of angels" after all, in a sense. I've also been reading Billy Graham's book, "Angels," and he points out that angels are incredibly powerful. God sent only one angel to kill the firstborn of every family in Egypt, one angel to take out 185,000 Assyrians, etc. So for God to have legions of angels at his command and to be the Lord of Armies is pretty cool. This term for God is used the most in the prophets during times when Israel was under attack or under threat of attack, which makes perfect sense. The actual Hebrew term is "Sabaoth," which is in Martin Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." How awesome to know what it means, now! Now the line "and he will win the battle" makes a whole lot more sense.

The weather has finally turned nice in Boston. The past week was sunny nearly every day, with highs in the upper 50's and 60's. One day it even got up to 75! It is so nice that Noah and I went walking around Fresh Pond nearly every day. And yesterday we went to Kendra and Caleb's, and the guys played tennis for a little while. It has just been a good week to get outside. This week is supposed to be a little colder and cloudier, though. But spring is here, people; spring is here!

And here is a picture of Noah and me that I took yesterday:

Arbonne 50% Off Sale!

I sent this email out to my clients yesterday, but I decided to open it up to all of you on the blogosphere, as well. Email me if you're interested. :)

Hello Arbonne Shoppers!
You have been patiently waiting to hear what new goodies Arbonne came out with on April 11, and here they are:

SeaSource Detox Spa products wash away internal and external toxins that come to us through the air we breathe, the water we drink, the things we touch, and the food we eat.

Did you know that over time, toxins can build up and overwhelm the body, weakening in the immune system and leading to:

• Fatigue
• Stress
• Poor digestion
• Skin disorders or breakouts
• Stiffness, aches, and pains
• Weight gain
• Premature aging
  

SeaSource Detox Spa products are designed to holistically stimulate, support, and strengthen the detoxification process in the body. The line includes the following:

Foaming Sea Salt Scrub
Detoxifying Rescue Wash
Sea Mud Face & Body Mask
5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil
Purifying Sea Soak
Fortifying Hair Mask
Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion 24H
Renewing Body Gelée
7-Day Body Cleanse Dietary Supplement

Arbonne came out with some other goodies, as well:



Mascara, Eye, & Lip Liners FYI Sugar Slushes FYI Vivacious

Now through April 30, I am offering
50% off any of these NEW products
and
40% off any of your old favorites!
You must place your order through me to get this special deal,
so email me very soon to get 40% off anything in the Arbonne catalog and half off any of the new goodies!
laurenbenesh@gmail.com

Red Sox Connection

Okay, I am about to tell you how very cool we really are.

Last night, Nathan got a last-minute invitation to the Red Sox game. So he went with his friend/office mate, Dave, to see the Sox play the Texas Rangers. (By the way, in case you're wondering, although we're from Texas, we don't really have any particular love for the Rangers--you cannot live in Boston and not be a Red Sox fan. Well, maybe Courtney could.).

Dave and Nathan chatted about Nathan's days playing baseball at Rice. Nathan was telling him about where some of his teammates ended up (on which teams, etc.). He mentioned that David Aardsma was playing for the Cubs.

Dave: "No he's not!"
Nathan: "What?"
David: "The Red Sox got him this year! He's one of our pitchers!"
Nathan: "Really? Wow! I used to go to his apartment to play Halo!"

And sure enough, they got to see Aardsma pitch last night. It was pretty cool. When Nathan got home, he told me all about it. We used to eat lunch in the Baker Commons with David a lot. I remember him as a really down-to-earth, nice guy.

Anyway, that's why we're so cool--we were friends with one of the Red Sox in college. :)

Last Weekend

April came to visit last weekend! We had a great time hanging out with one another and seeing Boston. She and Jonathan and the girls moved to Tucson a few months ago, so we won't likely be seeing each other anymore when one or the other of us goes home to Houston. So it was great that she came!

Look how tan that girl is. Must be all that Arizona sun.

Faneuil Hall

These guys were performing out in front of Faneuil Hall, doing all kinds of gymnastic things.

We stopped by Haymarket to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies, where we got like 7 limes for $1, asparagus for $1/bunch, etc. We also went to Mike's Pastry, a Boston landmark in the Italian North End, and got some yummy pastries. They have the best cannoli ever.
Man, I need a haircut!

April got to hang out with Noah. Do you see her belly? She's due with her first boy in July!

It was a great visit!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Okay, Arbonne just came out with an AMAZING new product line. I am so excited to try it! It's a detoxifying spa line made with ingredients from the sea. You can check it out here. They also came out with new f.y.i. products (the line for teens) and new eye liners and mascara, but I'm most excited about the SeaSource Detox Spa, which focuses on, as Arbonne puts it, "supporting the body’s natural ability to regenerate and purify itself, by helping to rid it of the chemicals you ingest through food and air — and feel cleaner and healthier than ever." I'm hoping that after trying these products I'll find that this "clean and healthy" feeling is similar to the way I feel after some time on the elliptical machine. Or similar to the feel of taking a cool shower after a long time out in the summer sun. I don't know about you, but I think that kind of refreshment sounds heavenly!

Here are the products I'm ordering right away:

• Detoxifying Rescue Wash - Gentle, purifying formula protects against free-radical damage and lays down a protective moisture barrier on the skin’s surface.
• Sea Mud Face and Body Mask - Enriched, sea-derived mud that contains stimulating ingredients and marine botanicals that help purify, detoxify and condition the skin’s surface. Mmm.
• Renewing Body Gelee - Restore skin’s surface ionic balance with the wonderful calming and refreshing properties of this cooling gel that nourishes, hydrates and moisturizes.

So those are the new products I'm most excited about. And here are a few of my all-time Arbonne favorites:

• NutriMinC RE9 Recover Night Creme - Nothing makes my skin glow like using this stuff consistently. It's stinkin' amazing. And with a new Consultant ID, you can get it for FREE. Can't beat it.
• NutriMinC RE9 Refinish Hydrating Body Lotion - This is, hands down, the best lotion I've ever used. It moisturizes the most intensely of anything I've ever tried, and it doesn't leave a sticky or filmy feeling.
• Intelligence Exfoliating Mask with Thermal Fusion - When you apply this mask, water activates its enzymes, and it actually temporarily turns your face red as it draws out impurities and such. This is one of my all-time favorite products because it makes my skin look downright radiant.
  
• Lip Saver, SPF 30 - I use this about 15 times a day, literally. I have to have a backup on hand at all times in case I misplace it.
  
• No Sun Intended Bronzing Powder - I love this stuff. I use it in place of blush in the sunnier months. Today I broke out the bronzing powder and relished the glow it gave me. That's the best way to describe what it does: it gives you a nice, sunny glow.

If you're inspired to get your hands on some of these goodies and you don't already have an Arbonne consultant, give me a shout. I'll hook you up: laurenbenesh@gmail.com

Sleeping Noah

Isn't he cute?

I've finally given up on swaddling the kid. He started really fighting it several weeks ago, but he thrashed so much in his sleep that swaddling his arms to his sides really did help keep him from waking himself up. And when he startled himself awake with a flailing arm, he'd actually wake up frightened, and that frightened cry is so sad! Anyhow, I decided to see what would happen if I quit swaddling him, and he's done very well. (Part of the reason I did this was because the little stinker would wriggle his arms out most of the time, anyway.) So far, he has only startled awake once.

You can see how much he relishes having his arms free. :) He sleeps like this all the time. He never has his arms down. No wonder he hated having them bound to his side!

By the way, people, let me just cite Psalm 103 (one of my favorites) and praise the Lord, oh my soul, because the boy has slept through the night twice this week. We're talking 9pm till 5am. Like I said, praise the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not his benefits. Amen.

Pretty Dang Good Asparagus Soup

*UPDATE* Nathan was a little skeptical when I picked him up from work and told him we were having asparagus soup with dinner. But, as it turns out, he loved it. So there you go--even manly men like asparagus soup.


If you're looking for a really good spring recipe, I have one for you. I just made the asparagus soup recipe from the little cookbook that came with my hand blender, and it is way yummy. You could use a regular blender at the end, if that's what you have. I have had asparagus soup just once at a swanky lunch, and it was pretty good, so when I had the opportunity to buy two bunches of asparagus for $2, I thought this would be perfect. I am going to serve it with ham and cheese sandwiches grilled on the George Foreman, but you could definitely do something fancier. Enjoy!


Asparagus Soup

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 oz. shallot, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/4 lbs. fresh asparagus, tough ends removed
3 oz. red potato, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch dice (I didn't peel mine)
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. heavy cream (optional)

Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium low heat. Add shallots and crushed garlic and sweat over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Do not allow the shallots and garlic to turn brown.

While shallots are cooking, cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve the tips. When shallots are soft, add asparagus and potato to saucepan and cook for about 6 minutes longer, until asparagus is bright in color. Add wine and raise the heat to bring the wine to a boil. Reduce the wine until a scant tablespoon remains. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Insert the blender into the saucepan, making sure the protective guard is submerged. Blend, using a
gentle up-and-down motion, until ingredients are well combined, about 40-50 seconds. Season with salt, pepper, and basil. Stir in cream if using.

While soup is cooking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the asparagus tips and cook for 2 minutes until bright green. Drain immediately.

Serve soup hot, garnished with reserved asparagus tips.

CSA

So it has been 40 degrees and drizzly all weekend, but I'm excited about summer. Want to know why? Because I just bought a share in a local organic farm, and I'm going to get fresh veggies all summer!

It's called CSA--Community Supported Agriculture. You can find a summary of it on "my" farm's website, here.

I'm so pumped, because I'll be getting fresh veggies all summer. (Have I mentioned that?) You may remember that I tried out gardening for the first time last summer. I grew tomatoes, lavender, and various herbs. It was great! My basil plant grew more leaves than I ever could have used. However, I didn't get that many tomatoes, my lavender never actually bloomed (although the leaves smelled amazing), and everything died over the winter. Oh, how I tried to save my plants. But there just wasn't enough sunlight. Oh, yeah, and I had a baby and forgot to water them for like a month.... I finally gave up and just took them out onto the back porch last week. No amount of watering or repositioning in front of the windows was doing any good, and I was getting dried leaves all over my floor, so they were relegated to the back porch, where the threat of cold weather looms, even in April. Here is what they look like now (go on and laugh; it's okay):


Now, I am sure that I will still want to grow some things this summer, but I would like a little more variety and quality (and quantity!) than I am able to produce myself. I had heard about buying CSA shares before, but I had forgotten about them. A friend mentioned that she was going to do it, so I asked her for the info and found a farm that delivers right to Harvard Square once a week! You get whatever is in season, which I think is fun, because I am sure I'll get things I would never think to buy in the grocery store, along with some unusual varieties to try. I am sure that I'll be wishing for watermelon before it's ready or that one week I'll get way too much dill or something, but that's half the fun. Plus, I love that all the produce is local. There are a lot of small farms in the Boston area that do this. "My" farm's name is Stone Soup Farm. I guess it's named after the children's book. Do y'all remember that book?

Anyway, I'm enthusiastic about my CSA share. If you're interested in doing it yourself, you can find a farm near you at www.localharvest.org.

Three Months!

Noah is three months old today!

He is doing so many new things. For one thing, he loves to stand up. He'd rather stand than sit, lie down and bat at toys, do his tummy time, etc. We used to have to support him by holding onto his torso while he stands, but now he is better at balancing and is stronger, so we just hold his hands. He has also become very vocal, and he goes through a couple of periods a day when he "talks" non-stop. We think he's exploring all the sounds he can make--he squeaks, makes a creaky sound, and tries out different vowels. He has rolled over twice since that first time last week, and we've also found him lying on his side and playing with his toys. He's still really sweet, and he loves to be with his parents. (Aww!) Nathan says that every time he goes to get him out of his crib, Noah stops crying and grins at him. And it's so fun to see him become more and more interactive. He loves to observe the world around him, and I love the expression on his face when he's standing up and looking around. He's just so alert--big eyes, raised eyebrows, open mouth.

We took a video of him doing some new things. He's so cute, if I do say so, myself!

Compassion

We support a little boy in Uganda through Compassion International, and he recently wrote us a letter full of little gems:

• "I have received all the letters Nathan & Benesh have sent"--no Lauren, just "Benesh!"
  
• "I support the Los Angle Leakers"
• "I am glad to tell you that my birthday will be 26th Jan 2008." Hint hint!
  

And the best one:

• "My favorite subject at school is geography and physics. I have loved Nathan's job being a geologist. I think I also have to strive to being a geologist." Isn't that cool? :)

Yay Meredith!

I just want to give a quick shout out to Meredith, who just landed her perfect job! She is going to get to utilize both her seminary and social work master's degrees (she's a smartie), which she's pumped about. She'll be working for Bread for the World, an organization she's on the board of presently.

I think it is really cool whenever someone gets to perform in the area for which they have a passion and are gifted.

Yay Meredith!

April Arbonne Specials

Hello Wonderful Arbonne Shoppers!

It's April, and that means it's the time when Arbonne has its biggest product launch of the entire year! I can't wait for you to be able to "sea" what the new products are! I just wanted to let you know that they will be launching April 11th, so you can go online beginning then to check them out and see what's new.

In the meantime, below are the awesome Purchase with Purchase Specials that are available to you in April. These are some great deals.

Finally, Arbonne is mailing the "UpCLOSE" (which is the neat booklet you get each month in the mail if you have a Consultant ID) after April 11th to include the new products, so be looking for that! It's coming a little later, but it is still coming.

As always, thank you for your business.

Best,

Lauren

	PWP | PURCHASE WITH PURCHASE Qualify to purchase a different product or set at a special discount each month. PwP @ $50 SRP f.y.i. Arbonne With every $50 f.y.i. Arbonne SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase one of the BodyBetter Body Creams for $7, regularly $18. Mysterious #7306P; Flirtatious #7308P; Ambitious #7307P

PwP @ $75 SRP CHOOSE ONE OF THESE GREAT PwPs With every $75 SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase either the Mandarin Cashmere® Merely Sensational set plus complementing candle for $34, regularly $118.20. #6328P OR the Luxurious Almond Always Almond set plus complementing candle for $32, regularly $107.40. #6329P While supplies last.

--
Lauren Benesh
Independent Consultant
Arbonne International
laurenbenesh.myarbonne.com
www.arbonne.com

This is a First

So Noah and I went to church without Nathan today (he is on his way back from Mark's wedding in Houston this weekend), and this was my first time to go by myself with the baby. I sat in the very back row, just in case Noah got fussy. He didn't really fuss, but he did start making little noises, so I got up and stood in the back, just in case I needed to step out for a while.

I noticed that there were a few groups of people who came in very late and were really casually dressed. They'd stay for a few minutes then leave. Pretty soon, I realized that they were tourists. Our church, Park Street Church, is on the Freedom Trail in Boston, so we get a lot of tourist traffic. But I didn't realize that people came in during the service just to take a look around. And that's precisely what they'd do; come in, step into the back of the sanctuary, stay for a few minutes, then leave.

I like that Park Street just welcomes them and doesn't make a big deal out of it interrupting the worship or anything. I think that's a good witness, and most visitors are quiet and respectful.

Well, this one Asian couple walked in, smiled really big at Noah (who I was holding in the sling), and found a spot to stand in the back of the sanctuary. I looked over at them a few minutes later, and they were taking pictures! Seriously! The girl was snapping photos of the worship service, and the guy was filming it! It seems like such a foreign concept to me to want to do that. I was tempted to be offended that they were turning our worship service into entertainment, but I decided that was ridiculous. At least they were inside a church.

Anyhow, they stayed for a few minutes, and on their way out, the girl came to take a closer look at Noah. She thought he was really cute. And then, y'all, she asked if she could take his picture. Yes, she did. What was I going to say? I couldn't say no. So here I am in the back of the sanctuary having my picture taken by tourists while the offering is being taken. Is that hilarious or what?! The guy even stuck his head into the picture, just like you'd do if you were getting a picture of a statue or something! A picture with a real, live American Christian and an American baby! It was so awkward and funny!

Thought of the Day

I've decided that the reason I like to cook is that it's pretty much like making a craft, only with food.

Seven Things About Me

Michelle tagged me for a meme. Doesn't it just make your day to be tagged? It's like, "Oh, someone remembered me and thinks I'm interesting." Thanks, Michelle!

And now you all get to read some things that may or may not be of interest:

The Rules:
Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I am going to follow Michelle's lead and talk about the same topics, more or less.

My Seven Things:
1. Important things I've learned from my friends:
- Nathan: humility; how to loosen up sometimes
- Sarah F.: generosity
- April: joy

2. My favorite TV shows by category:
Comedy: The Office. I also like Chuck.
Morning Show: Today and Martha Stewart (sometimes Martha can be boring or a little too into herself, though).
Drama: Lost.
Reality: Currently, My Big Redneck Wedding. You have to watch it just for the commentary. The best comment thus far was when a couple rode their horses to the local convenience store. The host (Tom Arnold), said, "Take THAT, Al Gore!" Too funny.
Guilty Pleasure: America's Next Top Model. Nathan can't stand it. :)
And I have one word to say about Game Shows: I hate shows like Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader and Deal or No Deal because first of all, the content is pretty bland, and secondly, they do in 15 minutes what I could do in 3. They are so dragged out that I get really bored.

3. My latest purchases on iTunes: Wow, I haven't bought anything on iTunes in forever. I think the last thing was Lazlo's "Open" (the lead singer is a friend--I would recommend them. I think they might have won Houston's battle of the bands at some point). I think I also bought some Christmas music around the holidays (classical--Biebl's Ave Maria, Mendelssohn, etc.). Nathan and I actually tried to find the song from the credits in "Stardust," which is called "Rule the World," but apparently it's only available in the UK.
*Update* I went back and downloaded a bunch of fun show tunes to burn a CD for Noah and me to listen to. Yay! I got some songs from "Enchanted" and a lot of Julie Andrews' stuff. Then I got inspired to watch "The Sound of Music" and didn't go to bed until 2am because I got sucked in.

4. Foods I really hate: canned asparagus, sauteed spinach, sauerkraut. I'm not crazy about black-eyed peas, either. My mom always tries to get me to eat sauerkraut and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, and I always take like two bites and call it a day. :)

5. I was choir president in high school. This was not an uncool thing, since our choir was really good and had won the same private school state competition like 15 years in a row by the time I got there. I also took voice lessons and thought I'd be a vocal performance major for quite a while. I competed in vocal competitions each year, the most notable being TMEA (the big one in Texas, and the most competitive--thousands of students audition). I was ranked highly through all the advancing levels my senior year but actually missed making the all-state choir as a Soprano II by like three seats. I think I was ranked eighth, and you had to be in the top five. The sight-reading was a new thing that year, and it killed my score, I think. I was exposed to some amazing music and some fantastic musicians, though. Those years were quite an experience. Singing was my favorite thing about high school.

6. I've never had braces but probably could have used them. Maybe someday I'll do invisalign or something. I'm not too concerned about it. I do whiten my teeth about once a year, though. And one day I'd like to get lasik surgery. I'm extremely nearsighted.

7. I was painfully shy growing up. The best advice I ever got about this was from my mom, who told me this while in middle school: "Stop worrying. What makes you think they're looking at you, anyway?" Sounds harsh, but it really helped! I mean, the typical, "Everyone else feels exactly the same way" thing didn't work for me. No way cute Jennifer Todoroff felt as awkward as I did (hi Jenn!). But after my mom said that, it struck me that maybe she was right. Maybe I was way more worried about the way I looked (or walked or talked or dressed or . . .) than anyone else was. The experience that really made me come out of my shell was college. I can still be a little reserved sometimes, but overall, I'm much more friendly and outgoing than I used to be.

---

I am going to break the rules and not tag people for this, simply because I just tagged people for one about a month ago, and I only have so many blogging friends. Don't want to wear them out! But if you want to do this meme, go for it. Just leave a comment and let us know.

A Doofus

Three stories about how I can be a doofus sometimes:

1. I am jealous of Amanda because she gets to go to work one day a week. Not because she is working, but because she probably gets to wear cute office clothes. And when I had lunch with Courtney, she had cute office clothes on, too. I realized I no longer have an excuse to buy them.

2. Yesterday, as I was in the kitchen mopping (more on that below), I heard a thud, followed by Noah's crying. You better believe I dropped that mop and went running into the other room. I discovered that Noah had squirmed his way out of his bouncy chair onto the floor. That kid has recently discovered how to move (vigorously) his legs and torso. He is super squirmy sometimes and squirmed his way downward until he just slipped out onto the floor. He was fine, but it gave me a bit of a scare. He's definitely going to be buckled into that thing from now on.

3. So I have a confession: I've never mopped before yesterday. Now, I am not saying I've never cleaned my floors. I've just never mopped. I've always Swiffered. I guess I always figured it was just easier and, well, less wet. But I am all into spring cleaning mode, and I thought a mop would clean certain areas better. So I bought a mop, a bucket, and some cleaner, and I went to town on my bathroom and kitchen floors. However, in my mop naivete, I didn't wring the mop out after dipping it into the bucket every time. So I ended up with floors covered--covered--with suds. At the time, I was thinking, "Oh, my floors will be so clean!" Until I finished scrubbing and looked over my soapy, watery (but clean) kitchen floor. Then I was thinking, "Okay, . . . what now? What do people do now? I think maybe I did something wrong. . . ." I called my dad to find out, and he just laughed at me. Per his suggestion, I ended up mopping up the suds with nearly an entire roll of paper towels, then using a clean, non-soapy mop (wrung out, of course), to de-soap the floor. After I told Nathan what happened, he told me I had no choice but to blog about this fiasco so you could all see what a doofus I am sometimes. Like you didn't know.

:)

12 Weeks Old

Today is Noah's 12-week birthday, and guess what he did! He rolled over for the first time! And guess what else! I actually caught it on video!!! I saw him as he was halfway there and quickly grabbed the camera!



Okay, I actually annoy myself with my high-pitched enthusiasm. Feel free to mute.

Lauren's New Mom Survival Kit

Lauren's New Mom Survival Kit:

1. Sling. These are great because they allow you to be hands free for a while. You can check email, do the dishes, grocery shop, etc. The baby is happy because he is right up against your body, can feel you breathing, hear your heartbeat, etc., which is all soothing to a kid who just came out of there, anyway. Noah usually falls asleep in the sling, and it's usually a good, deep sleep, so that I can then take him out and put him down without waking him up. Be sure you get a good one that doesn't hurt your back. I like Hotslings.
   
2. iPod. Apparently there's a hormone that's released in your body when you hear a baby cry. It's designed to stress you out. Great. Like you need more stress. Well, since new babies go through periods when they cry A LOT, this can get kind of overwhelming, especially when you are rocking the baby for 20, 30, 40, 50 minutes, trying to get him to go to sleep, all while he's crying his little head off. I found that one way to keep my sanity was to listen to my iPod while I was trying to put Noah to sleep. You can still hear the baby, but it is enough of a distraction to keep the blood pressure in check.
3. Paper Cups and Plates. A nice stock of them, to keep you from having to do dishes for a few weeks.
   
4. Bible! To keep your spiritual sustenance up!
   

If nursing:

1. Boppy Pillow. I know that generations and generations of women have nursed their babies without boppies, but I do have to say that it is definitely helpful, especially at night, because I could rest my arms on it. Basically, it saves me some energy.
   
2. Nursing Bras. Really important! I like Bravado.
   
3. Nursing Nightgowns. My mom got me a couple of nursing nightgowns, for which I am very thankful. They really make things easier when you are half asleep!

To all moms out there: What would be in your new mom survival kit?