my adventure list

I think this newborn thing has affected my competitive bone. I am typically a highly competitive person. Case in point: When I was in labor with Griffin, I lamented over the fact that I was not surrounded by other women in labor because then we could have a contest. I was sure that would be enough to spur me on to a very short labor.

My current complacency has been revealed to me by a contest that I am currently involved in and have put forth zero effort to win. It's just not at the top of my priority list. Wait...I don't even have a priority list.

Well, it's time for a change. (No, that statement was not meant to be a political reference...politics are even lower on my pseudo-priority list.) Here is the situation in a nutshell:

I am involved in a monthly moms of preschoolers meeting called MOPS. We are all taking part in a contest this year, in which the participants can earn points for carrying out various good deeds such as making a meal for another mom, bringing a guest to MOPS, attending events, etc. The table with the most points at the end of the year will all go out to eat, while the table with the least points will watch their kids. Should be motivation, right?

There is a fun aspect to this contest that I've been pondering for a while. It's called the adventure list. We were all encouraged to write a list of activities or accomplishments that we would like to conquer over the next year. We would then earn points for each as we checked them off the list.

Lincoln was only two weeks old when we were first asked to create this list. At that point, my list looked like this:
sleep
shower
change out of my pajamas
sleep some more

Adventure held a different meaning during that very foggy time in life. Even still, I earned very few points.

Now that the fog has started to lift, I feel like it would be fun to create a true adventure list for my upcoming year. I like challenges and by putting them into writing, I may actually accomplish a few. And occasionally get out of my pajamas.

So, here goes. I thought I would categorize them by the amount of effort required, starting with the least and ending with the greatest.

1) Finish reading a book. I currently have three in process. Or is it 5?

2) Begin journaling again. I miss that.

3) Get back into an exercise routine. Walking to the mailbox does not count.

4) Sew covers on those throw pillows I bought two years ago. Wait...does this require learning to sew?

5) Run a 5K. Who wants to join me?

6) Get away for a night with my husband. Yes, this requires more effort than running a 5K.

7) Plan another get-together with my L.U. girls. Whaddya say, Beckie, Leigh Anne, Kelley, and Sarah?

8) _______ _______ _____ ____________. This one I'd rather not post for all the world to see. Oooh...don't you wish you knew?

9) Attempt to get something published. Attempt being the key word. And pressing 'publish post' does not count.

10) Buy a house. I better get extra points for this one.


So, there you have it. My goal is not to accomplish all, but to motivate myself to accomplish some. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Wait.
11) Share cute pictures of my children with the world.

These gotta be worth some points.

One month old! (plus a couple weeks)

Six weeks ago tonight, I was feverishly keeping track of contractions and hoping that this was the real deal. And yep, it sure was...check out the proof:

I'm planning on trying really, really hard to keep track of milestones with the same passion that I did with my firstborn child. So, in an effort to keep myself accountable, I've decided to blog about Lincoln's monthly growth. That way, you can yell at me if I haven't blogged about him in a while. (As you can see, I'm already running late...) Here goes:

Month 1:
Wow, Lincoln, it is hard to believe that you are already a month old! So far, you have been such an easy baby--let's keep that up, ok? Here are a few memories from your first month of life:

*It's been so fun to watch Griffin with you, Lincoln. He loves you soo much! He runs to you every time you cry and tries to make it better with your binky. He tries to reassure you by saying, "It's Ok, Lincoln." (It took him a while to realize that your name wasn't Baby Bob--but he's caught on now!) Every time he catches you spitting up, he says, "Oh, Buddy!" (I think he got that from Mommy...) And when you are crying in the car, he sings "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to try to calm you down. Sometimes we have to help him slow down and help him be more gentle with you--but it's just because he gets so excited when you are around!

*You went to your first concert this month. (Mommy and Daddy like to get our kids 'cultured' young.) It was our youth group's kick-off event with the Proxy, Nevertheless, and Flyleaf. We didn't take your gentle eardrums into the actual concert, however--just right outside the doors. You seemed to enjoy it.

*Right before you turned one month old, you started giving us the biggest smiles. I couldn't believe it! We loooove to watch you smile. You are a very happy kid.

*You are one loud sleeper! After one sleepless night, Mommy and Daddy got smart and moved you right outside the door, where we couldn't hear you as well. We also discovered that you sleep better in your carseat. You've had a stuffy nose for a while, so it seemed to help with your congestion too. Now, you usually only wake us up around 3 am and 6:30 am--and that's good with me!

*Everyone says you look like someone different. For a while, it was your Uncle Ryan. Then they thought you looked more like an Ehret. Then, several people at church said you look like Papa Hill. Recently, more people have been saying you look like Griffin. I've decided that when your eyes are closed you look more like a Hill and when they are open, you look more like an Ehret. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

It is hard for me to believe how fast the time is flying already. I'm doing my best to enjoy every minute--even the 3 am ones. But, I also can't wait to watch you grow. We have so much to look forward to. I love that we get to watch another little life grow before our very eyes.

We love you, little Lincoln! (or Winkin, as Griffin says it)

domestic goddess i am not...

...but occasionally I make an attempt at appearing to be one. this past saturday, i spent all day peeling, cooking, and canning applesauce...

...with A LOT of help from her (my mother-in-law)--ok she did most of the work...

...and some help from him...

...and some more help from him (papa ehret, not lincoln)...

are you impressed?