The hardest thing about this week, I discovered, is that I am out of sugar. That means no more sweet tea or sugary oatmeal. I ended up putting some powdered sugar in my tea last night. It was kinda strange, but I got used to it. It is silly that I was so bothered by the lack of sugar, but there it is. Anyways, since our milk is so limited, I opted for Oatmeal this morning, sweetened with honey. It was pretty good, but my little honey bear is getting pretty empty. :( For lunch I went to a friend's house, and she mostly cooked with things she already had in her pantry, so it still kinda went along with the poverty idea. Tonight I made rice and beans, seasoned with cilantro and lime.
On a slightly different note, last night I was kind of sad and didn't want to do anything. I think the stress of not being "able" to go fill my pantry was kind of wearing on me. That seems a bit melodramatic...but if it was possibly already affecting me in that manner, what would it do longterm?
11.16.2010
11.15.2010
Poverty Diet
In order to prepare ourselves for FXCC's "gift beyond words" contribution this Sunday, many of us are doing a "poverty diet". Lee and I decided that since we were gone all last week, and so busy the week before that no groceries were bought, we are just going to eat whatever we have on hand. It's a little different than was requested, but I'm excited about the challenge. You think about eating differently when you have to ration out food. For example, We have 8 pieces of week-old bread that will have to make it through the week. Fortunately I have a couple cups of flour and know how to make bread, :) so that will get us a little longer. But there is only a half of a half gallon of milk (is that a quart?) left that expired yesterday, but it still smells fine, so for cereal this morning I used as little as possible. For lunch I had half of a pb and j. Cole is getting the best of what we have. He will still be on formula until next week, and for lunch he had cheese, fruit, and crackers. If I water down his apple juice, I should have enough to last the week. Already I'm seeing how blessed we are: I may have to get creative, but there's no way we will be starving this week.That's a God thing.
9.07.2010
Fall is starting!
I love fall. I love the anticipation of a new Football season; I have a Fantasy Football team this year, it is called "Naulty-N-Nice". I chose my team with my daddy, so we will see how awesome (or awful) they turn out to be. :) The cooler evenings make me yearn for a small-town TX high school football game. Big city teams and Non-TX teams just don't hold the same appeal. I miss the pep rallies. Getting out of class early, trekking to the band hall to haul my French Horn to the gym, wondering if I'd ever catch the eye of a football player (I did, by the way...I just didn't meet him until college). As I remember it, my mom made burritos for my friends and I most every home game, they were so good! Homemade tortillas, filled with refried beans and Velveeta, and fried to a crispy golden brown. Allsups had nothing on my Mom!
9.03.2010
mid o'night ramblings
Here's some thoughts that have been rolling through my head.
1. Lee's on a plane from Chi-town tonight. Supposed to land at midnight. It's now 1:28 and no Lee. Rain Delay was to be expected, and I talked to him just before they took off--he's now hoping to be home by 3 AM. As Matchbox 20 would say, "It's 3AM, I must be lonely (I must be lone-lay-ay-ay)". I am lonely. Ready for our 4 day weekend to start. Sleep should be my destination, but I need Lee home first. I just do.
2. Cole stood on his own yesterday. Only for a few seconds, and before I realized what he was doing, he had grabbed onto something for balance.
3. I always think I see roaches out of the corner of my eye, dashing away to avoid getting squashed. In reality, we've never seen a roach in this house (God is obviously blessing Herndon, VA, in this manner). But I still have to take a second glance whenever I see the "phantom peripheral scurrying", just to make sure that it isn't really there.
4. Lee just landed! It is now 1:37. Apparently I might sleep tonight after all.
5. I have this thing about being sticky. I hate it. Dirt I can handle. But give me a sticky finger (say, with mashed banana on it?) and I really have to steel myself to touch it. I've been steeling myself a lot lately.
6. I went to the gym yesterday, and as I'm waiting for someone to pull out of a parking spot, this guy comes from the other direction and steals it from me. I even had my blinker on. I don't know that this had ever happened to me before. It was really difficult to not yell at him. Of course, any yelling I would have done would have been within the safety of my rolled-up windows...The Italian Meathead probably didn't need to hear about how his momma forgot to teach him some manners...he probably knows, but is choosing to live in oblivion, until he meets that special woman who convinces him to live in the future, not the past, and he gets over his mommy issues and they fall in love and have little respectful meatheads of their own. (Don't you all think up romantic novel storylines to diffuse your anger??? I mean, who can be mad at the guy, when you never know what will happen on the next page? He can't be a true jerk, or else he wouldn't be in the book...)
7. Cole's favorite thing to do now is to crawl with items in both hands. It is the best when one item is big and the other is small; it makes him hobble like a cute puppy with a limp. Anyways, He carries these things to the bathtub, pulls himself up to look inside the tub, then tosses the items over. After this comes the realization that he can't reach the toy, and in classic baby mode, he just finds something else to play with, and the game begins again.
8. A friend of mine accidentally said she drove through a "brainstorm" instead of a "rainstorm". I kinda like the picture that "brainstorm" paints. If you drove through one, would you do it slowly, or as quick as possible?
1. Lee's on a plane from Chi-town tonight. Supposed to land at midnight. It's now 1:28 and no Lee. Rain Delay was to be expected, and I talked to him just before they took off--he's now hoping to be home by 3 AM. As Matchbox 20 would say, "It's 3AM, I must be lonely (I must be lone-lay-ay-ay)". I am lonely. Ready for our 4 day weekend to start. Sleep should be my destination, but I need Lee home first. I just do.
2. Cole stood on his own yesterday. Only for a few seconds, and before I realized what he was doing, he had grabbed onto something for balance.
3. I always think I see roaches out of the corner of my eye, dashing away to avoid getting squashed. In reality, we've never seen a roach in this house (God is obviously blessing Herndon, VA, in this manner). But I still have to take a second glance whenever I see the "phantom peripheral scurrying", just to make sure that it isn't really there.
4. Lee just landed! It is now 1:37. Apparently I might sleep tonight after all.
5. I have this thing about being sticky. I hate it. Dirt I can handle. But give me a sticky finger (say, with mashed banana on it?) and I really have to steel myself to touch it. I've been steeling myself a lot lately.
6. I went to the gym yesterday, and as I'm waiting for someone to pull out of a parking spot, this guy comes from the other direction and steals it from me. I even had my blinker on. I don't know that this had ever happened to me before. It was really difficult to not yell at him. Of course, any yelling I would have done would have been within the safety of my rolled-up windows...The Italian Meathead probably didn't need to hear about how his momma forgot to teach him some manners...he probably knows, but is choosing to live in oblivion, until he meets that special woman who convinces him to live in the future, not the past, and he gets over his mommy issues and they fall in love and have little respectful meatheads of their own. (Don't you all think up romantic novel storylines to diffuse your anger??? I mean, who can be mad at the guy, when you never know what will happen on the next page? He can't be a true jerk, or else he wouldn't be in the book...)
7. Cole's favorite thing to do now is to crawl with items in both hands. It is the best when one item is big and the other is small; it makes him hobble like a cute puppy with a limp. Anyways, He carries these things to the bathtub, pulls himself up to look inside the tub, then tosses the items over. After this comes the realization that he can't reach the toy, and in classic baby mode, he just finds something else to play with, and the game begins again.
8. A friend of mine accidentally said she drove through a "brainstorm" instead of a "rainstorm". I kinda like the picture that "brainstorm" paints. If you drove through one, would you do it slowly, or as quick as possible?
8.26.2010
My Happy Boy
I'm sitting here watching my little boy play with all his toys. He has a little ball pit which he loves to empty and chase the balls all around the living room. He is so focused on them! I think he's really happy to be playing alone again. He LOVED his cousins...
Case watched over him as if he was his own brother, and Jake was exciting and playful. But there is nothing like being in your own space, and Cole is a great example of that. He has basically ignored me since he has been home. It is great to see him so happy! Plus, his sixth tooth has almost popped through. He now takes bites of food whenever possible, even if it is already a tiny piece of food-I guess his teeth are really fascinating right now.
Case watched over him as if he was his own brother, and Jake was exciting and playful. But there is nothing like being in your own space, and Cole is a great example of that. He has basically ignored me since he has been home. It is great to see him so happy! Plus, his sixth tooth has almost popped through. He now takes bites of food whenever possible, even if it is already a tiny piece of food-I guess his teeth are really fascinating right now. Cole was playing at my feet a minute ago, then he got really quiet. I peeked around the computer screen and realized he had fallen asleep, right there on the floor! I think being in a house full of people has taught him that he can go to sleep, no matter what is going on around him. Yay! 
8.14.2010
Cole and Lee time
Lee got up with Cole this morning and let me sleep in. I think he likes to have a little Daddy/Cole time without Mommy gunking up the works. Cole was sitting behind the recliner, out of site of Lee, but Lee could tell he was just playing with a toy. Then he got kind of quiet, then he started crying. Lee got up to check on him and saw that he had found something black, like grease from the chair, and had smeared it on the chair, carpet, his face, ears, hands. On closer inspection, it turned out to be poop. He had exploded out the back of his diaper and found it. It seemed that he had had fun playing with it, until he put some in his mouth and realized that it tasted pretty nasty...this is when Cole started to cry. He rushed Cole to the tub and proceeded to strip him, awkwardly trying to avoid any more poop from getting on Cole's face. Cole was screaming so hard at this point that I decided to see if my assistance was needed. It was. :) 2 pairs of hands are pretty necessary when dealing with a poo-covered child.
8.01.2010
Death to Carpet
Since cole has been crawling, he's been getting into stuff. Duh. That's what babies do, and he is learning quickly what is okay to play with, and what are "No's". He's a very smart baby, but what concerns me is his need to put everything into his mouth. By "concern", I mean daily he eats something that concerns me; I don't constantly worry about him eating inedibles, but I know that it is coming so I try to be ready for the inevitable choking/coughing noises that ring throughout our halls daily. Tonight he starting coughing, and I quickly checked on him (he also chokes on his own spit often, so I never know if the cough is serious, or just a liquid-down-the-wrong-pipe kind of thing). I didn't see anything, so he went back to playing. 20 minutes later, he coughs again, with a bit of gagging noises thrown in. So I pick him up, put him on the counter, and squeeze those little cheeks until I see a little white something on the back of his tongue. I reach in a finger, scrape his tongue, and pull out a ring of carpet pile. He probably had been chewing on it the entire time, just not quite able to swallow it. Carpet, Cole? Really? Why?? I think "watching for things to pass" is going to become a hobby in our house before long. Lee just commented that it is a parents' job function to spend our days making sure our child doesn't kill themselves. :)
Oh also, Cole was playing by himself the other day. He crawled to me with drool all down the front of him, his face shiny with wetness. He smiled and I saw something in his mouth; apparently he'd found a little piece of plastic (like the wrappers magazines come in) and was chewing on it, making him drool excessively. I think he'd gotten into my purse, which is the only item I have that isn't baby proof right now. It's like he knows...
Oh also, Cole was playing by himself the other day. He crawled to me with drool all down the front of him, his face shiny with wetness. He smiled and I saw something in his mouth; apparently he'd found a little piece of plastic (like the wrappers magazines come in) and was chewing on it, making him drool excessively. I think he'd gotten into my purse, which is the only item I have that isn't baby proof right now. It's like he knows...
7.21.2010
6.03.2010
when ya gotta go...
Lee had just removed Cole's diaper and was en route to the tub when Cole started doing his "grunting". Lee panicked, but at the last second came to his senses and shoved a diaper underneath Cole's bottom, so that the crisis would be averted. I walked into the bathroom after hearing some commotion to see Lee walking out with Cole being held at arms-length, a diaper being cupped to his little behind. It is those instances that make me want to walk around with a camera around my neck at all times...
5.28.2010
peace
Cole has mastered sitting up by himself. He can't get into this position by himself, but he stays when I put him there (at least until he decides he rather roll around...). Yesterday, he was sitting and I reached out my fingers to him, and he grabbed them and pulled himself up to a standing position. I didn't offer any strength, just support. You should have seen his face! He was so proud of himself, and just laughed and laughed! We showed Lee this after he came home from a very long day at the office. For some reason, I had tears in my eyes as we showed off for daddy. I think it was because Lee said this: "That's awesome, Alecia!" So simple. And really Cole did the work, not me. But two things stood out to me. 1) Lee loves that I can be home to witness Cole's small feats in his little world. And 2) When Lee uses my name, I come undone. He says it with such care and wonder, like I am the most amazing creature ever. He truly is my Happy Place.
5.13.2010
facebook postings
(I'm stealing this idea from Stephanie) Below are the facebook postings I made lately. It is easier to post things there than to blog, for whatever reason. Oh, I know, it's because I'm on there ALL the time!! They are going from oldest to newest.
Jan 1
Is heading home tomorrow! I'll miss Texas and our families, but I am REALLY ready to be in my own abode again.
Jan 4
We are home
Jan 4
(Lee) The after-christmas christmas goody bartering has begun. Alecia just gave away all her slim jims plus her beef jerky for one chocolate-marshmallow santa. I would have thrown in my peanut butter trees if only she would have bargained a little harder.
Jan 5
Lee just tried to make Cole eat while lying on his stomach, using the bottle like a straw...doesn't he know you can't tease a baby when it comes to food?
Jan 8
Lee's taking me to Chili's tonight. Cole will come too, but it feels more like a date than any of the "eats" we've done in a while. I think it's because it he called and asked me out over then phone...so archaic!
Jan 10
(lee) Let's play a game: One Nault spent the evening ironing. One Nault spent the evening watching football and "Women of Ninja Warrior." Wanna guess which did what?
Jan 17
Did anyone mention to the Cowboys that they had a game today? :) Good job, Favre.
Jan 17
First tooth??? Seriously?!?!
Jan 19
Bizarro night in the Nault house. Alecia is actually requesting something from an infomercial instead of chastizing Lee for buying something. What's next, telling Lee that he doesn't spend nearly enough time with the Xbox?
Jan 20
Is happy that I have friends here in VA that have babies within 2 months of me...
Jan 21
making pineapple-ginger pork and fried rice for dinner. Really hope this works!
Jan 23
Just watched "The Pregnancy Pact" on Lifetime...Not my usual fare, but it was pretty interesting. Young girls think that starting a family will make everything better; this movie showed how difficult and life-changing babies, as perfect as they are, can be.
Jan 24
Anyone ever hear of "floating teeth?" I'm doing research on this, because Cole's little tooth, which was sooo obvious, has now virtually disappeared. I'm not worried, just annoyed :)... I've told all these people that he has a tooth, and now, it's gone! :)
Jan 25
Wishes she were a little less tired...Good thing Lee was willing to bathe Cole. I'm pretty sure he would have gone without a bath, if it were up to me...
Jan 26
Chef Boyar-Lee just tried to force feed me ravioli, cold, from the can...yuck.
Jan 28
Case's ANC counts today were 3116! They have been low recently, which has delayed his moving onto the next stage. But now, he can have the spinal tap (yuck!) tomorrow, and move completely into the maintenance stage.Thanks for the recurring prayers. My sister and fam really appreciate it!
Jan 29
It's a good day! Cole is so happy today...he just played and played, then fell asleep. He's my favorite. :)
Jan 30
I'm holding Cole as i type. He's looking over my shoulder and giggling. Apparently the chair-back is hilarious...
Jan 30
Our small group potluck is cancelled, but I'm making vegetable stew anyways, since the meat's already been defrosted. :) Yum!
Feb 1
Cole figured out that he could grab his toes just now. He's so cute!
Feb 3
Is not tired of this snow yet...as long as I am home. :)
Feb 3
Can we discuss LOST characters? Who's your least fav, and why? Locke is mine. He annoys the heck out of me, and I kinda think his storyline is boring...
Feb 4
I don't plan on leaving the house until at least Monday. I'm just going to look out at the great expanse of white goodness and praise God that I don't have anywhere that I have to be. Oh wait, is church gonna happen Sunday morn? Cuz if the doors be open, I'm'a walkin through em. :)
Feb 5
Lee's on his way home from DC! As soon, as he gets here, I can completely enjoy the snow...It's not sticking to the roads yet, fortunately.
Feb 5
(Lee) 2 hours into being snowed in. Alecia: "I'm bored, let's do something together." Lee: Casts forlorn glance at Xbox he'd planned on spending the weekend with...
Feb 6
It's been a while since I've been up this late by choice. I think the excitement of the snow, combined with the chocolate, popcorn, and Cokes have me up past the usual bedtime...the simple things in life positively make me giddy!
Feb 6
Over 2 feet so far!
Feb 6
The snow is coming! The snow is coming!
Feb 6
waist high, folks...
Feb 7
Dulles airport, which is a couple minutes from our house, is saying we got 32 inches of snow. So I'll go with that number. It's awesome! But the novelty of it is kinda wearing thin...
Feb 8
On your mark, get set, SNOW!! If you missed Snowmageddonpocalypalooza, relax! Because coming to a town near you, northern VA, is Snowmageddonpocalypalooza Deuce: Revenge of the Blizzard! Get your tickets today!
Feb 10
Thinks it's cute that all her DC friends on FB are either talking about this crazy snow, or discussing the food they have been eating, while being homebound.
Feb 10
Happy 3 months to my precious little Cole! :)
Feb 10
Monday night we went to get pizza and go to Sam's. Lee's been to the church to help shovel and to a friend's house to help paint, but that is the extent of our travels since last Friday. Lee has been off of work all week, including tomorrow.
Feb 11
Lee and I met almost 12 years ago, and have been married for 4.5 years. I grow more proud of my Valentine every day. :)
Feb 14
(Lee) really should have bought a red bag for Alecia's Valentine's presents. Of course, maybe she won't even notice the "Congratulations on your little boy" printed on the side of her gift bag.
Feb 16
Back into Pre-Pregnancy Jeans!! :)
Feb 17
I'm to the point, finally, where I just can't stop staring at Cole. Every little thing he does evokes some kind of emotion in me, be it pride, glee, wonder, etc. I watch him, unable to look away, in fear that I will miss something. I'm starting to understand how powerful this bond is...
Feb 18
While on the phone with my sister, Shannon Chandler, my nephew got into the trash (again), pulled out a burned potholder, and promptly rubbed the black ash all over his face. I honestly cannot wait to witness these kinds of events in my own house.
Feb 21
(Lee) is having to get all the boas, glitter, and girlie out of his fortress of manitude so that he can kill aliens in peace.
Feb 21
(Lee) Alecia just referred to our son as "Ferris Drooler." That's right, she's both an 80s child and a total nerd, the complete package.
Feb 23
Sometimes I wonder who I am. Then, I remind myself that I already know whose I am, so anything else is kinda trivial...
Feb 25
I stopped writing when I got pregnant, for some reason. I'm starting again. So, you are welcome to come view sunshinesmiles4alecia.blogspot.com and learn more about what makes me, me.
Feb 25
Give me back that filet of fish, Gimme that fish...
March 1
Sometimes, being an adult is completely overrated...
March 4
Really wishing I hadn't already started dinner; I need a nap, and cooking isn't really easy to do when asleep...
March 6
Apparently Mucinex now does to me what NoDoz did when I was in college...It's 2:30 in the morn, and I just want to sleep.
March 6
Lee's being all hard-core about house decorations. "They must be in a seasonal color"(Did you know that pink is only a spring color? Not summer?)" Any holiday decorations must relate only to the holiday in that month"(which means, we can't decorate for Easter, when St. Patrick's Day hasn't come and gone yet, and, since...
March 7
Altogether, hasn't slept more than 10 hours since Friday morning...I am so exhausted.
March 9
Had a great time shopping with Aarolyn today. Such beautiful weather to introduce shopping to our kiddos
March 10
Happy 4 months, Cole! We will celebrate by taking shots...I mean, by taking him to GET shots...:)
March 10
For those that are curious, 14 lbs, 3 oz., and 24.5 inches long.
March 10
It would be okay with me if I never heard a guy sing "Genie in a Bottle" ever again. I mean it.
March 12
Anyone local still selling Girl Scout cookies? I might have eaten more than my share of Thin Mints, and Lee's disgruntled about it...
March 13
(Lee) Walked in tonight and caught Alecia making Cole dance to "Push It" by Salt n Pepa. *Sigh* There's only so much deprogramming I can do...
March 15
Cole just past the 3 hour mark of his nap...If I'd've known he was going to sleep all afternoon, I would've taken a nap, too!
March 17
Today was a great day to have a sunroof! :)
March 18
Is hoping the madness games starting working in her favor...or else ridicule will have to be dealt with...
March 19
packing today for the teen retreat starting tonight. I'm excited to chaperone!
March 21
Thinks we have some pretty awesome teens at FXCC! :)
March 22
I love rain! Rainy rain rain!
March 23
listening to Cole cry as Lee puts him to bed...guess he wasn't as sleepy as we thought. I'm so glad I have a husband who can handle the best AND the worst times with a child.
March 25
Completely infatuated with red Jello.
March 30
Cole's first plane ride is tomorrow! :) Any tips on how to make this easy?
April 1
Got to have Freebirds today! My psyche has found rest. :)
April 7
Love the days God gifts us that makes you want to get outside and wash that car! I'm a Texas girl, but I love my Virginia home. :)
April 8
Blessings last week: great first plane ride for Cole, family-style chicken, Daddy's Bible class, Sonic, Freebirds, family, 42, Easter reunion, "big kids" egg hunt (major coinage won!), Taco Bueno, candy, sweet tea, heat, wide open spaces, Cole now can roll across the floor, in both directions, Cole's first green beans were a success, God is Good.
April 9
He slept on the plane! Sweet boy...
April 9
I left Cole, napping, in his giraffe bouncy chair. A few minutes later I heard him crying. He had rolled onto his stomach, so his face was in the seat, his feet were hanging off the edge, and his little booty was up in the air. Guess I have to start strapping him in, now...
April 10
(Lee) Alecia has quite a bit to do this evening, and can't seem to get focused. So I am grounding her from Facebook. If you catch her online, scold her back into finishing all her tasks and I'll send you a prize.
April 14
Doesn't feel good; Really wishing my mommy was closer, so that I could have my own "mommy time-out" tomorrow.
April 17
Cole's little tooth is poking through finally! I got teary-eyed when I found it; he's been so fussy lately, and now all those tears have paid off!
April 18
Almost succeeded in twisting my ankle today at the grocery store. Definitely succeeded in flashing innocent bystanders.
April 19
Cole slept through the night without being swaddled! Guess he was afraid we'd open his window again if he didn't...
April 21
Lee is teaching Cole wrestling moves (WWE style). Apparently his favorites are "camel clutch" and "Walls of Jericho". Oh, and don't forget "The People's Elbow"...Ugh. I'm embarrassed enough for all of us...
April 22
(Lee) Last night at 12:08 a.m. Cole got very upset in his crib. At 12:08 and 15 seconds a neighborhood transformer blew and the whole block lost power for hours. I'm not saying the two incidents are related, but I might have Alecia be in charge of discipline until I'm sure they aren't.
April 25
Is excited about the solo I'm doing at the next Music and a Message (keep May 15 open, if you are interested!). It will be monumental (hopefully in a good way...)
April 26
Cole's been asleep all afternoon...I'm kind of at a loss for what to do with myself! :)
April 27
I will no longer be carrying around photo ID. Know why? People should know who I am.
April 29
My life is so much better when my child isn't cutting a tooth...:)
April 30
It's DATE NIGHT!!! We even have a babysitter, and I get to dress up!!
May 1, 2010
MUch needed date night last night. Lee brought me sunflowers (he has officially exhausted all of the flower types you can get from grocery stores, he claimed...guess he will start repeating...), then we saw Date Night and went to Carrabbas. I loved every minute of our evening. It was nice to have a reason besides church to wear fabulous heels!
May 2
I understand the path that God has put me on. I just don't always like it. I'm hoping God is okay with me admitting that...
May 3
Loved the weather today. It was muggy, but cool enough to enjoy the outdoors. And then it rained! Sweet smelling, soft rain. God has smiled on me.
May 5
(Lee) Wishes Glee would remember that it has a cast of more than 5 characters. I miss the black guy and asian girl participating.
May 6
I took some cold medicine this morning, not realizing it had antihistamine in it. 8 hours later, my head is still kinda fuzzy!
May 6
WHy is that when I put a blanket down for cole to lay on, the first thing he does is roll off of it?
May 9
I was blessed with gifts from the men in my life today, in honor of our first official mother's day. I got a hammock (which I promptly fell out of), and 2 karaoke XBox games (which I have already coerced Lee into singing with me). Fun Day! I have a super thoughtful husband (and son!).
May 10
Cole is 6 months old today!! Whoa...that's unreal.
May 11
All three of us had doc appts today; here's Cole's 6 month stats: 26 inches long, almost 16 lbs. and 16.5 inches head circumference. Poor little guy had 3 shots, then slept most of the day.
May 11
"I am like Tinkerbell...I need applause to live". GLEE!!!
May 12
Apparently God decided the sun was unnecessary this afternoon. Dude, those clouds look ominous!!!
Jan 1
Is heading home tomorrow! I'll miss Texas and our families, but I am REALLY ready to be in my own abode again.
Jan 4
We are home
Jan 4
(Lee) The after-christmas christmas goody bartering has begun. Alecia just gave away all her slim jims plus her beef jerky for one chocolate-marshmallow santa. I would have thrown in my peanut butter trees if only she would have bargained a little harder.
Jan 5
Lee just tried to make Cole eat while lying on his stomach, using the bottle like a straw...doesn't he know you can't tease a baby when it comes to food?
Jan 8
Lee's taking me to Chili's tonight. Cole will come too, but it feels more like a date than any of the "eats" we've done in a while. I think it's because it he called and asked me out over then phone...so archaic!
Jan 10
(lee) Let's play a game: One Nault spent the evening ironing. One Nault spent the evening watching football and "Women of Ninja Warrior." Wanna guess which did what?
Jan 17
Did anyone mention to the Cowboys that they had a game today? :) Good job, Favre.
Jan 17
First tooth??? Seriously?!?!
Jan 19
Bizarro night in the Nault house. Alecia is actually requesting something from an infomercial instead of chastizing Lee for buying something. What's next, telling Lee that he doesn't spend nearly enough time with the Xbox?
Jan 20
Is happy that I have friends here in VA that have babies within 2 months of me...
Jan 21
making pineapple-ginger pork and fried rice for dinner. Really hope this works!
Jan 23
Just watched "The Pregnancy Pact" on Lifetime...Not my usual fare, but it was pretty interesting. Young girls think that starting a family will make everything better; this movie showed how difficult and life-changing babies, as perfect as they are, can be.
Jan 24
Anyone ever hear of "floating teeth?" I'm doing research on this, because Cole's little tooth, which was sooo obvious, has now virtually disappeared. I'm not worried, just annoyed :)... I've told all these people that he has a tooth, and now, it's gone! :)
Jan 25
Wishes she were a little less tired...Good thing Lee was willing to bathe Cole. I'm pretty sure he would have gone without a bath, if it were up to me...
Jan 26
Chef Boyar-Lee just tried to force feed me ravioli, cold, from the can...yuck.
Jan 28
Case's ANC counts today were 3116! They have been low recently, which has delayed his moving onto the next stage. But now, he can have the spinal tap (yuck!) tomorrow, and move completely into the maintenance stage.Thanks for the recurring prayers. My sister and fam really appreciate it!
Jan 29
It's a good day! Cole is so happy today...he just played and played, then fell asleep. He's my favorite. :)
Jan 30
I'm holding Cole as i type. He's looking over my shoulder and giggling. Apparently the chair-back is hilarious...
Jan 30
Our small group potluck is cancelled, but I'm making vegetable stew anyways, since the meat's already been defrosted. :) Yum!
Feb 1
Cole figured out that he could grab his toes just now. He's so cute!
Feb 3
Is not tired of this snow yet...as long as I am home. :)
Feb 3
Can we discuss LOST characters? Who's your least fav, and why? Locke is mine. He annoys the heck out of me, and I kinda think his storyline is boring...
Feb 4
I don't plan on leaving the house until at least Monday. I'm just going to look out at the great expanse of white goodness and praise God that I don't have anywhere that I have to be. Oh wait, is church gonna happen Sunday morn? Cuz if the doors be open, I'm'a walkin through em. :)
Feb 5
Lee's on his way home from DC! As soon, as he gets here, I can completely enjoy the snow...It's not sticking to the roads yet, fortunately.
Feb 5
(Lee) 2 hours into being snowed in. Alecia: "I'm bored, let's do something together." Lee: Casts forlorn glance at Xbox he'd planned on spending the weekend with...
Feb 6
It's been a while since I've been up this late by choice. I think the excitement of the snow, combined with the chocolate, popcorn, and Cokes have me up past the usual bedtime...the simple things in life positively make me giddy!
Feb 6
Over 2 feet so far!
Feb 6
The snow is coming! The snow is coming!
Feb 6
waist high, folks...
Feb 7
Dulles airport, which is a couple minutes from our house, is saying we got 32 inches of snow. So I'll go with that number. It's awesome! But the novelty of it is kinda wearing thin...
Feb 8
On your mark, get set, SNOW!! If you missed Snowmageddonpocalypalooza, relax! Because coming to a town near you, northern VA, is Snowmageddonpocalypalooza Deuce: Revenge of the Blizzard! Get your tickets today!
Feb 10
Thinks it's cute that all her DC friends on FB are either talking about this crazy snow, or discussing the food they have been eating, while being homebound.
Feb 10
Happy 3 months to my precious little Cole! :)
Feb 10
Monday night we went to get pizza and go to Sam's. Lee's been to the church to help shovel and to a friend's house to help paint, but that is the extent of our travels since last Friday. Lee has been off of work all week, including tomorrow.
Feb 11
Lee and I met almost 12 years ago, and have been married for 4.5 years. I grow more proud of my Valentine every day. :)
Feb 14
(Lee) really should have bought a red bag for Alecia's Valentine's presents. Of course, maybe she won't even notice the "Congratulations on your little boy" printed on the side of her gift bag.
Feb 16
Back into Pre-Pregnancy Jeans!! :)
Feb 17
I'm to the point, finally, where I just can't stop staring at Cole. Every little thing he does evokes some kind of emotion in me, be it pride, glee, wonder, etc. I watch him, unable to look away, in fear that I will miss something. I'm starting to understand how powerful this bond is...
Feb 18
While on the phone with my sister, Shannon Chandler, my nephew got into the trash (again), pulled out a burned potholder, and promptly rubbed the black ash all over his face. I honestly cannot wait to witness these kinds of events in my own house.
Feb 21
(Lee) is having to get all the boas, glitter, and girlie out of his fortress of manitude so that he can kill aliens in peace.
Feb 21
(Lee) Alecia just referred to our son as "Ferris Drooler." That's right, she's both an 80s child and a total nerd, the complete package.
Feb 23
Sometimes I wonder who I am. Then, I remind myself that I already know whose I am, so anything else is kinda trivial...
Feb 25
I stopped writing when I got pregnant, for some reason. I'm starting again. So, you are welcome to come view sunshinesmiles4alecia.blogspot.com and learn more about what makes me, me.
Feb 25
Give me back that filet of fish, Gimme that fish...
March 1
Sometimes, being an adult is completely overrated...
March 4
Really wishing I hadn't already started dinner; I need a nap, and cooking isn't really easy to do when asleep...
March 6
Apparently Mucinex now does to me what NoDoz did when I was in college...It's 2:30 in the morn, and I just want to sleep.
March 6
Lee's being all hard-core about house decorations. "They must be in a seasonal color"(Did you know that pink is only a spring color? Not summer?)" Any holiday decorations must relate only to the holiday in that month"(which means, we can't decorate for Easter, when St. Patrick's Day hasn't come and gone yet, and, since...
March 7
Altogether, hasn't slept more than 10 hours since Friday morning...I am so exhausted.
March 9
Had a great time shopping with Aarolyn today. Such beautiful weather to introduce shopping to our kiddos
March 10
Happy 4 months, Cole! We will celebrate by taking shots...I mean, by taking him to GET shots...:)
March 10
For those that are curious, 14 lbs, 3 oz., and 24.5 inches long.
March 10
It would be okay with me if I never heard a guy sing "Genie in a Bottle" ever again. I mean it.
March 12
Anyone local still selling Girl Scout cookies? I might have eaten more than my share of Thin Mints, and Lee's disgruntled about it...
March 13
(Lee) Walked in tonight and caught Alecia making Cole dance to "Push It" by Salt n Pepa. *Sigh* There's only so much deprogramming I can do...
March 15
Cole just past the 3 hour mark of his nap...If I'd've known he was going to sleep all afternoon, I would've taken a nap, too!
March 17
Today was a great day to have a sunroof! :)
March 18
Is hoping the madness games starting working in her favor...or else ridicule will have to be dealt with...
March 19
packing today for the teen retreat starting tonight. I'm excited to chaperone!
March 21
Thinks we have some pretty awesome teens at FXCC! :)
March 22
I love rain! Rainy rain rain!
March 23
listening to Cole cry as Lee puts him to bed...guess he wasn't as sleepy as we thought. I'm so glad I have a husband who can handle the best AND the worst times with a child.
March 25
Completely infatuated with red Jello.
March 30
Cole's first plane ride is tomorrow! :) Any tips on how to make this easy?
April 1
Got to have Freebirds today! My psyche has found rest. :)
April 7
Love the days God gifts us that makes you want to get outside and wash that car! I'm a Texas girl, but I love my Virginia home. :)
April 8
Blessings last week: great first plane ride for Cole, family-style chicken, Daddy's Bible class, Sonic, Freebirds, family, 42, Easter reunion, "big kids" egg hunt (major coinage won!), Taco Bueno, candy, sweet tea, heat, wide open spaces, Cole now can roll across the floor, in both directions, Cole's first green beans were a success, God is Good.
April 9
He slept on the plane! Sweet boy...
April 9
I left Cole, napping, in his giraffe bouncy chair. A few minutes later I heard him crying. He had rolled onto his stomach, so his face was in the seat, his feet were hanging off the edge, and his little booty was up in the air. Guess I have to start strapping him in, now...
April 10
(Lee) Alecia has quite a bit to do this evening, and can't seem to get focused. So I am grounding her from Facebook. If you catch her online, scold her back into finishing all her tasks and I'll send you a prize.
April 14
Doesn't feel good; Really wishing my mommy was closer, so that I could have my own "mommy time-out" tomorrow.
April 17
Cole's little tooth is poking through finally! I got teary-eyed when I found it; he's been so fussy lately, and now all those tears have paid off!
April 18
Almost succeeded in twisting my ankle today at the grocery store. Definitely succeeded in flashing innocent bystanders.
April 19
Cole slept through the night without being swaddled! Guess he was afraid we'd open his window again if he didn't...
April 21
Lee is teaching Cole wrestling moves (WWE style). Apparently his favorites are "camel clutch" and "Walls of Jericho". Oh, and don't forget "The People's Elbow"...Ugh. I'm embarrassed enough for all of us...
April 22
(Lee) Last night at 12:08 a.m. Cole got very upset in his crib. At 12:08 and 15 seconds a neighborhood transformer blew and the whole block lost power for hours. I'm not saying the two incidents are related, but I might have Alecia be in charge of discipline until I'm sure they aren't.
April 25
Is excited about the solo I'm doing at the next Music and a Message (keep May 15 open, if you are interested!). It will be monumental (hopefully in a good way...)
April 26
Cole's been asleep all afternoon...I'm kind of at a loss for what to do with myself! :)
April 27
I will no longer be carrying around photo ID. Know why? People should know who I am.
April 29
My life is so much better when my child isn't cutting a tooth...:)
April 30
It's DATE NIGHT!!! We even have a babysitter, and I get to dress up!!
May 1, 2010
MUch needed date night last night. Lee brought me sunflowers (he has officially exhausted all of the flower types you can get from grocery stores, he claimed...guess he will start repeating...), then we saw Date Night and went to Carrabbas. I loved every minute of our evening. It was nice to have a reason besides church to wear fabulous heels!
May 2
I understand the path that God has put me on. I just don't always like it. I'm hoping God is okay with me admitting that...
May 3
Loved the weather today. It was muggy, but cool enough to enjoy the outdoors. And then it rained! Sweet smelling, soft rain. God has smiled on me.
May 5
(Lee) Wishes Glee would remember that it has a cast of more than 5 characters. I miss the black guy and asian girl participating.
May 6
I took some cold medicine this morning, not realizing it had antihistamine in it. 8 hours later, my head is still kinda fuzzy!
May 6
WHy is that when I put a blanket down for cole to lay on, the first thing he does is roll off of it?
May 9
I was blessed with gifts from the men in my life today, in honor of our first official mother's day. I got a hammock (which I promptly fell out of), and 2 karaoke XBox games (which I have already coerced Lee into singing with me). Fun Day! I have a super thoughtful husband (and son!).
May 10
Cole is 6 months old today!! Whoa...that's unreal.
May 11
All three of us had doc appts today; here's Cole's 6 month stats: 26 inches long, almost 16 lbs. and 16.5 inches head circumference. Poor little guy had 3 shots, then slept most of the day.
May 11
"I am like Tinkerbell...I need applause to live". GLEE!!!
May 12
Apparently God decided the sun was unnecessary this afternoon. Dude, those clouds look ominous!!!
5.03.2010
I have always wanted to stay at home when I had children. God has acknowledged this and allowed that dream to become a reality. But I didn't realize how much I would miss working. Specifically, in the church office. It was a passion I didn't know I had, until God put that on my path. I miss it so much that I sometimes wonder why God would have put that short stint in, when he knew how much I would crave it when I wasn't there anymore. Motherhood would have been a much easier transition from the job I had BEFORE the church office. But for some reason God needed me to experience the passion that working in the church office gave me.
But then I feel guilty, because I love being able to experience everthing about Cole's day-to-day life, and I would miss that job just as much if I had to go back to working outside the home again. So, there are two awesome roles that I really really want, and God chose one for me. I'm thankful for that, but sometimes, I miss the path not chosen...
But then I feel guilty, because I love being able to experience everthing about Cole's day-to-day life, and I would miss that job just as much if I had to go back to working outside the home again. So, there are two awesome roles that I really really want, and God chose one for me. I'm thankful for that, but sometimes, I miss the path not chosen...
4.29.2010
Spinach
Up until April 26, Cole had met no food he didn't like. But on that mid-Spring night, the Spinach jar was opened. He eyed it greedily, because it looked like peas. But oh, that texture was different. He opened his mouth again, hoping it was a mistake, but the same weird texture accosted him again. After several attempts at this, he just turned his head, as if to say, "No. You've made a mistake. That green stuff is not what I was expecting, and therefore, I will not eat it."
The next night, we tried it again, making sure to smash all the lumps really good. And still, the same thing happened. So we pulled out the peas, for they are always a hit, but Cole, smart boy that he is, did not trust the green jar anymore.
Perhaps today we will go back to carrots. Maybe he will forget about how the green stuff is tricky, if it stays away a couple of days.
The next night, we tried it again, making sure to smash all the lumps really good. And still, the same thing happened. So we pulled out the peas, for they are always a hit, but Cole, smart boy that he is, did not trust the green jar anymore.
Perhaps today we will go back to carrots. Maybe he will forget about how the green stuff is tricky, if it stays away a couple of days.
4.23.2010
A little thing
I love how Cole can get distracted from a toy for a minute, then find the toy again and act like it is the neatest surprise ever.
Lee just read Cole a story. It melts my heart, how tender he is with Cole. Of course, Lee's pretty tender with everyone--it is something I find incredibly inspiring. He's so patient with me; I'm not the best wife out there. I am a lazy procrastinator who doesn't find mopping/vacuuming/dusting at the top of my to-do list. Ever. That means when we expect people to come over, Lee carves out some time to do these chores...he knows that it is probably the only way they will get done. I should do these things. He never asks me to, which is why I don't. Why would I do them, when he does them better and doesn't expect me to do them? Because I love him. This, is why I should do these arduous chores. Because he takes pride in having a clean house, and I should respect him enough to help him out, even when I know that whoever is coming over is not going to notice that the floors are sparkly and the carpets have that just-vacuumed fluffy thing going on. It doesn't matter that people don't notice. Lee notices...and that matters.
Lee just read Cole a story. It melts my heart, how tender he is with Cole. Of course, Lee's pretty tender with everyone--it is something I find incredibly inspiring. He's so patient with me; I'm not the best wife out there. I am a lazy procrastinator who doesn't find mopping/vacuuming/dusting at the top of my to-do list. Ever. That means when we expect people to come over, Lee carves out some time to do these chores...he knows that it is probably the only way they will get done. I should do these things. He never asks me to, which is why I don't. Why would I do them, when he does them better and doesn't expect me to do them? Because I love him. This, is why I should do these arduous chores. Because he takes pride in having a clean house, and I should respect him enough to help him out, even when I know that whoever is coming over is not going to notice that the floors are sparkly and the carpets have that just-vacuumed fluffy thing going on. It doesn't matter that people don't notice. Lee notices...and that matters.
3.15.2010
Super Mom
I'm not really a super mom. My mom would say that I am. But that's what mom's are for...to boost their daughter's state of mind. However, sometimes, I do feel like I'm doing a pretty good job, figuring out what Cole needs. Today he obviously needs his nose wiped. A lot. And aspirated. Oh, how he hates that little bulbous snot funnel. But it works! Except when I forget how to use the thing and end up shooting snot back up his nostril...
3.09.2010
The Lovely Boy
How is it that a little boy who was so whiny and clingy yesterday can be so content and happy today? He was in and out of the car all day today, stuck in his carseat a good portion of the day, and he only cried when it was time to eat. I was very proud of my little man!
Aarolyn and I tried on lots of shoes at Off Broadway today. It was so fun, going up and down the aisles, slipping our feet into the highest, most awesome heels we could find! This is one of the things that doing with a girl friend is much more fun than doing it with the spouse. Lee is a great shopper and is very patient with me, but I don't think he would have tried on heels with me...
I finally bought Cole a baby book last night. I got it from Amazon and I have high hopes for it. Right now, all his stats are being kept in a blog that I haven't published. I also bought Cole's Easter outfit today. He has a blue sweater with an argyle pattern across the chest, and blue plaid shorts, with little blue shoes. I hope it passes the "grandmother" test! :) Lee's a little worried about the shorts, but they are so cute, I think it'll work.
Finally, I have noticed that when I am tired, I start digging my fingernails or intensely rubbing various spots on my face. I don't know how long I've been doing this, but it's kind of weird. It hurts, but it kind of feels good and comforts me, I guess. So after this weekend of no sleep, I have a raw spot on the bridge of my nose, and my right temple has nail marks. You can say it. I know I'm pretty psycho...
Aarolyn and I tried on lots of shoes at Off Broadway today. It was so fun, going up and down the aisles, slipping our feet into the highest, most awesome heels we could find! This is one of the things that doing with a girl friend is much more fun than doing it with the spouse. Lee is a great shopper and is very patient with me, but I don't think he would have tried on heels with me...
I finally bought Cole a baby book last night. I got it from Amazon and I have high hopes for it. Right now, all his stats are being kept in a blog that I haven't published. I also bought Cole's Easter outfit today. He has a blue sweater with an argyle pattern across the chest, and blue plaid shorts, with little blue shoes. I hope it passes the "grandmother" test! :) Lee's a little worried about the shorts, but they are so cute, I think it'll work.
Finally, I have noticed that when I am tired, I start digging my fingernails or intensely rubbing various spots on my face. I don't know how long I've been doing this, but it's kind of weird. It hurts, but it kind of feels good and comforts me, I guess. So after this weekend of no sleep, I have a raw spot on the bridge of my nose, and my right temple has nail marks. You can say it. I know I'm pretty psycho...
3.01.2010
Mondaze
I can't remember much about my day today. I know that I accomplished things. If I think really hard, I remember talking to my littlest sis on Facebook, talking to my middle sister on the phone, and leaving a message for my parents to call me back (I finally had to call them again...). I guess I also remember Cole had two dirty diapers (these make me happy...I know it's weird...) and he wore himself out in his Jumperoo and took a 3 hour nap afterwards. I also know that he was drooling quite a bit today and I put Lansinoh on his chapped chin, to keep the irritation at bay.
There was lots of other stuff I did today, like working, eating, and Facebooking. But, if someone asked me, "So, what did you do on Monday?" I'd draw a blank. By the time I thought of something to say, the moment would be past.
There was lots of other stuff I did today, like working, eating, and Facebooking. But, if someone asked me, "So, what did you do on Monday?" I'd draw a blank. By the time I thought of something to say, the moment would be past.
2.25.2010
Back on the Bandwagon
I only blogged once after we found out I was pregnant. I'm really regretting that now; I had so many adventures, and now they are just memories, growing foggier by the minute. I was so tired that blogging just didn't occur to me. I'm going to get back into the habit now. I really miss the writing. Plus, when you are blogging, you start looking at your life differently, paying more attention to details that would make for a humorous story.
My Cole is 3 months old now. Those first couple of months were such a blur, I barely remember him as a newly-born newborn. I always thought that the actual delivery was the hard part; being a mom just comes naturally. I was definitely proved wrong. I cried every day for 6 weeks; The light at the end of the tunnel was off. All I could see was hours and hours of a crying child who constantly wanted to eat. I was too tired to sleep, too sore to move. Getting out of the house was a dream too far away to be realized...
As Cole got older, I learned his cries. Now, when someone tells me, "He's hungry dear, you need to feed him" I know if they are right, or if I need to just pretend they are right, so as to not hurt their feelings. Because I know Cole's hungry cry. I also know that when he is fussing and rubbing his eyes, he's sleepy. When he has a finger (or 3) in his mouth and is chewing on them, he's teething. I know when he needs to be put down to play by himself, and I know when he is crying just for the attention. I know that, while a dirty diaper doesn't usually bother him, a sure-fire way to make him laugh is to change him. And, finally, I know that when he smiles at me, he's seeing Me, Superwoman, Mother Extraordinaire, Supplier of Milk, and the One who is always There. I like my role.
My Cole is 3 months old now. Those first couple of months were such a blur, I barely remember him as a newly-born newborn. I always thought that the actual delivery was the hard part; being a mom just comes naturally. I was definitely proved wrong. I cried every day for 6 weeks; The light at the end of the tunnel was off. All I could see was hours and hours of a crying child who constantly wanted to eat. I was too tired to sleep, too sore to move. Getting out of the house was a dream too far away to be realized...
As Cole got older, I learned his cries. Now, when someone tells me, "He's hungry dear, you need to feed him" I know if they are right, or if I need to just pretend they are right, so as to not hurt their feelings. Because I know Cole's hungry cry. I also know that when he is fussing and rubbing his eyes, he's sleepy. When he has a finger (or 3) in his mouth and is chewing on them, he's teething. I know when he needs to be put down to play by himself, and I know when he is crying just for the attention. I know that, while a dirty diaper doesn't usually bother him, a sure-fire way to make him laugh is to change him. And, finally, I know that when he smiles at me, he's seeing Me, Superwoman, Mother Extraordinaire, Supplier of Milk, and the One who is always There. I like my role.
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