Lion King Hoist

Our church has an informal way of introducing new additions to the congregation.  After announcements, the new parents "hoist" their little ones for all to see.  We love the idea because parents get to proudly display their new little ones and everyone else gets a peek at a precious little baby.

In anticipation of Behr's arrival, Mark began contemplated the hoist.  After much debate, he decided to go "Lion King Style."  Last night we hoisted Behr.  What do you think?  Do Mark and Behr look like Simba and Rafiki?

Remember Those Predictions?

Well, my friends and family know me and my boy better than I ever thought!  Mark and I guessed he would arrive on 1.10.11 and be about 7 lbs. 8 oz. Clearly, our predictions were optimistic.  Here is who guessed correctly:

Behr's Arrival: 

Predictions:

Bernadette Boylan 1.11.11 at 1:30 pm

Robin Paradise 1.12.11 at 2:00 pm

{both off by about half a day}

Actual: 1.12.11 at 00:55 am

Behr's Weight:

Predictions:
Ben Schreiber 8 lbs. 1 oz.
Lauren Volpe 8 lbs. 2 oz.
Cynda Meffen 8 lbs. 2 oz.
Beth Hallinan 8 lbs. 2 oz.
Patti Angelos 8 lbs. 2 oz.

Actual: 8 lbs. 1.1oz

Uncle Ben guessed the closest, but 4 people were not too far behind!



Behr's Length:

We didn't log predictions for this one, but our boy is long!  How you ask?  He has super long chicken strong lacrosse legs!
{still kinda think they look more like chicken legs}

Behr is not sure he is excited about this picture.
He is probably dreading the inevitable...
...his momma showing off his chicken legs to the world!

Sweet Lasses Meets The Scribble Pad

So Shannon asked me to be a Guest Blogger and I was more than thrilled! My blog Sweet Lasses focuses on my personal style, current inspiration and the world of fashion through my eyes. So I thought it was only right to bring some of my style advice over to The Scribble Pad readers. I did a short video that I hope you all enjoy:) Shannon thanx so much for allowing me to share my blog and I just have to say that Behr is the cutest thing on earth! I am so happy for u and Mark!

XOXO Sweet Lasses

Song By: Passion Pit "Live to Tell the Tale"

A pop of color can so easily add some "Spring" to any wardrobe. Love all the bright colors this upcoming season...so great on a cold Winter day:)

The Life of Behr: 2 Weeks

So...I am going to try to keep you posted on all things baby with a combination of blogs I have seen.  I love how Young House Love has kept track of their daughter Clara's growth.  And then my friend Julie {yesterday's guest blogger} did an update of what life with her little Levi has looked like over the past 14 months.

So I present to you, a combination of the two, "The Life of Behr"

Wake Up to momma singing "Rise and Shine, and Give God the Glory..."

Diaper Change & Feeding

Play Time in the boppy, I look in the mirror while Momma puts in her contacts and starts coffee

Reading Time, a few books until I fall asleep for my morning nap

Diaper Change & Feeding

Play Time with momma

Diaper Change

If I take another nap, momma hurries to eat lunch

Diaper Change & Feeding

Baby Wearing Time, so mommas arms can rest and I calm down

Enter the Witching Hours: late afternoon - midnight

Diaper Change & Feeding, now a bottle from daddy

Momma and Daddy eat dinner while I keep them occupied

Diaper Change & Feeding

Clothing & Diaper Change to get ready for bed

Daddy rocks me until Bed Time

Diaper Change & Feeding

Keep momma and daddy awake

Diaper Change & Feeding

Sleep until morning

{sometimes the wake and sleep time in the middle of the night switch places!}

Needless to say, there are a lot of diapers and feedings consuming our days right now.  I am excited to keep track of this "schedule" every few weeks to see how our little life evolves.  Once I return to work in mid-Spring, we will see how this post series evolves, but for now I am going to take one Diaper Change & Feeding at a time...

guest post: "don't judge."

hey y'all! 

i'm julie from green eggs & hammes

first of all, congratulations to shannon & mark on the birth of baby Behr! 

how adorable is that child? so squishy! love.

shannon & i have been friends since high school and i'm so thrilled to still be part of her life.

and now that we're both mom's, it makes it all that much more fun!

my husband & i had our little one in november of '09, Levi. he's the greatest.

i thought in light of shannon just having her baby, that i'd do a post on {wait for it...} baby stuff!

you're shocked, i know.

i decided to go the honest route...

so. here are the 

top 5 things i judged women for before becoming a mom 

& doing it myself.

{sad & wrong that i judged? absolutely. true? absolutely.}

1. c-sections.

let's just start right at the top. i never really thought about sections as a "necessary" thing.

i always kind of figured they were a cop-out to "real" births. so when someone said "i had a c-section" i usually ended up thinking "oh, they copped out" without asking further about what had happened to them.

that is - until it happened to me. a semi-emergency, totally unplanned c-section.

and you know what? my scar is my battle scar. it comes with a story. my baby's birth.

so now - i always ask about the full birth stories.

2. exersaucers.

{and massive amounts of toys in general}

they're totally UG-LY, right? i mean really. let's just be honest.

so when i saw those monstrous things in people's homes, i used to think

"yeah.stinkin.right. i will never have one of those things in my home."

and then, my friend offered to let us borrow hers... and i begrudgingly obliged (because i felt bad saying no)

and do you know what? levi loved the thing. and yes. it was ugly & took up a large corner of our small house.

but it kept him entertained, not on his back & happy so that i could do other things.

you know, like cook dinner.

3. worrying about everything

i thought i'd be different. i thought i'd be cool.

in my head, i used to say "geez, chill woman!" to all moms who fretted.

and then... my kid had a flat head. (pretty bad too, right?)

and i freaked about "will he have to wear a helmet??"... "will he have brain damage"

{seriously. not the end of the world... no helmet was needed & he's all round now, by the way}

4. paci addicts

i did. i judged women who allowed their child to get so addicted to the pacifier.

HA. we're {only partially now} paci addicted in this house, and you know what?

they work. and i like them.

5. taking a million photo shoots... every day.

of the kid alone. of me & the kid. of hubs & the kid.

just kidding. i never claimed i'd be anything except for that mom.

and there are so many more : pb&j {everyday}... putting your kid in an ugly outfit and swearing he looks adorable.

living on coffee. sticking your kid in front of the T.V. ...

etc. etc. etc.

so hey.

if you're not a mom yet: go easy on us! ;) 

we're all just doing the best we can!

and when you get to be a mom: do better than we do!

**

my mom says: "if i got to the end of the day, and nobody had gone to the hospital or died: it was a good day. and if dinner was on the table: it was a great day"

and those are words to live by.

Top 10: New Realities

1. Each morning, I set out to drink a cup of coffee.  Inevitably I find it half finished sometime after dark.

2. I am on page 18 of the book I started January 9th.  Who knows if I will finish it before spring.

3. If Behr and I are fed, bathed, and dressed for the day by noon, I consider my morning a success.  My previous notion of productivity has officially been blown out of the water.

4. I have managed to take over 300 photos of my baby, but had time to share less that 10 with only a handful of people.

5. I have over 200 emails and I am considering not responding to any and starting fresh.  This would be unnerving to the me before baby.

6. I no longer have time to finish a top 10, so we will just call this a "Top 5."

Saturday Goodness

Here are a few videos to start your weekend off on the right foot:

This baby penguin cracks me up!

Maggie is the daughter of friends of ours and this video makes me laugh every time I see it!

Seriously, I am SHOCKED that my family doesn't have home videos like this! We were all about positive affirmation in our house growing up. I cannot get over this adorable little girl!

Guest Blogger: Baby Food

Hi everyone! This is Bec, Mark's cousin. Mark as in baby Behr's daddy and hubby to Shannon. First off-a BIG congratulations to the proud parents on the birth of Behr. Don't you love the picture of him with the mini lacrosse stick?

I wanted to post about something baby-related and decided on homemade baby-food. My little guy is almost six months old and he's been on solids for a few weeks, so this topic is fresh on my mind. Now, I am not anti- jarred food. In fact, there's a stash of it in the cabinet, but I always thought it would be fun to make my own. This website and this book have been helpful resources. I have found that homemade baby food is not only simple to make, but it saves money which is always a plus! 

The most recent vegetable I have prepared is a rutabaga, which is the sweeter cousin to the turnip. The rutabaga clearly illustrates that popular saying, "It's what is on the inside that counts". Take a look:

Once the veggie has been peeled, chop it up into chunks and toss it into a big pot. 

Cover with water and boil until soft, about 15-20 minutes depending on size of chunks.

Drain rutabaga and place in large mixing bowl.

Add breast milk (or formula) to thin out to desired consistency.

Spoon mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until it is used. 

While some fruits and veggies need to be boiled, baked, or steamed, others can be served without being cooked. Among these no-cook foods are banana, avocado, and papaya. Just peel off the skin and mash up with a spoon.

Yum!

Disclaimer: (written by Shannon) Bec and Mark, being cousins, apparently have the same palate.  Mark's favorite foods include turnips, beets, and brussels sprouts - by choice!  And what do I get from Bec?  A blog about rutabaga.  Another veggie "they" would venture to eat and I would gladly pass.  :-)  The trouble is "they" are growing on me and these foods are starting to taste good...we will see if baby agrees...

Happy Birthday Behr: 1 Week

You are already a week old!  It seems like time has flown and also stood still.  The past severn days have been marvelously rewarding.  Friends of our have a "You Are Special Today" plate to honor family birthdays.  When their daughter, Bella, was born 10 weeks ago, we celebrated with cupcakes.  Upon Behr's arrival home, their plate and cupcakes were ready to help us celebrate our bundle of joy.

Bella {10 weeks} and Behr {3 days}

Happy Birthday Behr!

Already you have...

held your first lacrosse stick

set a mini nighttime feeding schedule 12:30 and 3:30

picked a favorite song: "this little light of mine"

found your first two fingers to soothe yourself

{just like your daddy and I each did when we were babies}

used gchat to update daddy down in Brazil

seen your first snowstorm and ice storm

discovered a joy for riding in your car seat

and stolen our hearts! 

At first sight.

Hello! I'm Candis.

This is me.

I write a little blog called "lady lee in process". I'm guest blogging today for Shannon as she is very busy falling more and more in love every day.

Shannon has become a Mommy. One day it was just her and Mark in their home going through their days, and now a new little guy has joined the nest, joined the world, joined the human race.

I've watched a few births on TV and documentaries. Intense pushing and laboring and giving all that they've got and then suddenly, relief! Out slides the baby! If you watch the Mom's eyes and face react when they see and hold that baby, it's this raw, beautiful, transformation. I've witnessed it with adoption as well. The entire process of adoption seems like laboring. Emotionally, spiritually, mentally. And then you see the Mama hold their baby for the first time. And there it is, that look. That other worldly connection that my limited vocabulary cannot find words for.

Shannon is now part of the club of woman who call themselves "Mommy". Who have gone through the adventure of pregnancy and labor and come through it to have that euphoric moment of exquisite love flow from their eyes into their new baby's and back again. 

I am currently pregnant and due in April with my first child (who is a boy!), so I have not experienced this yet but I am so curious about it. I am admittedly scared of the pain that I will experience. I am nervous I'm not strong enough or brave enough. But seeing that look on woman's faces when they clap eyes on the flesh of their flesh soothes me. It speaks to my heart and tells me that I have no idea how worth it every pain and discomfort is, but I will.

As you think of Shannon, Mark and their new little love pray for them! Lift them up to God in prayer. May they be protected, healthy, peaceful and full of joy continually in this precious time and forever.

Introducing Baby Behr

A few photos of our adorable son.

Behr Robert

01.12.11

8 lbs. 1.1 oz

21.5 inches

I am writing this from the hospital (still) so it is just a quick photo post. 

our little lax player

I love his spiky hair

he loves being held by his daddy

can you ever see enough baby pictures?

our family of three

I cannot wait to capture our birth story here and share it with you all in the coming weeks.

some baby faves... ya know, cause shannon just had a baby!

hi guys!  it's bridget here.  shannon might not be able to do much online surfing for awhile, so here i am filling her shopping cart with goodies for behr!  congrats shannon & mark!  and happy birthday behr!

sweet pea hat | strawberry shortcake booties | linen bootie | growth chart |

  baby mocassins | bloom rocker | baby name necklace

milkmakers?

Have you heard of these things?  I stumbled upon them and was udder-ly (ha...) surprised by the concept.  Cookies that help milk supply?  Seriously?

{via}

I am not even sure I like their clever/odd logo of the "M" that mysteriously looks like an interpretation of something else...

{via}

What do you think?  Have you tried them?  Know anyone who has?

Maternity Photos

My dear friend Julie took fabulous photos of us while we were in PA, weeks ago!  I realize that the hardest part of being a photographer might be sifting through photos and choosing favorites.  I narrowed it down to 80+ and shrunk that into 30+ actual images using the picnik collage feature.  To spare you, I am posting them as a slide show rather than a never ending post of images.  Here you go:

The Finished Nursery

Here is the real life version of my inspiration board.  Everything is set...except the letters for our son's name - you will have to wait until after he is born for that one!

Here are our art work choices, include a french knot piece by my very talented friend Lindsay

...now all we need is the baby!

Due Date

Dear Baby,

Today is your due date.  This very day has been on our hearts and in our minds for months and months.  We have been holding onto this day like a precious gift.  But today, now that it is here, I realize that it is just another day.  Far more important is the day that God has chosen for us.  They day when you are finally ready to arrive.  I long for that day.  I know that it is out of our control, that neither you or I can independently chose to be wrapped in each others arms.  But I know that it is soon.

almost 14 weeks ago

I am not going through emotions I imagined.  I am not anxious or worried about the looming "when."  I am not tired or uncomfortable.  God has given me incredible peace and contentment throughout this pregnancy.  Your daddy and I have had the chance to bond with you, to learn your movements, to "catch" your feet as you kick and cherish all of the sweet times leading up to your arrival.  We know you better than we could have imagined.  We cannot comprehend the "knowing" that will follow in the days, and weeks and years to come.  

We are excited for all of your firsts, introducing you to the things we love.  We know that there are many first that every child experiences.  We are more excited about the firsts that are special moments in time.  We are excited to take you sailing, watch you play in the sand at the shore, bring you to your first lacrosse game.  These are the things we dreamed of enjoying with you for as long as we have known each other.  These are the moments we talked about before we even began our family.

I want you to arrive today.  I have wanted you to arrive every day for weeks.  But I am confident that your arrival will be perfect, no matter when it is.

love,
your momma

Not much change in the past three weeks.

2010 Reading List: Summary

Well...my reading is finished for 2010.  I got through more books than I imagined, although I did not reach my goal of five per month, or 60 throughout the year.  I enjoyed a lot of other things like frequent naps, especially the past few months of my pregnancy.  In total, I read 34 books with a good mix of substance and light reading and a whole lot of tears Nicholas Sparks.  

What do you think of my reading list?  Have any of these books become favorites for you?  Many left me eager to read more from a particular author, while others affirmed writing styles I tend not to care for. All in all, it made a good list.  I am glad I read what I did.

Still wishing I had read more, I am now wiser about setting goals.  My expectations for 2011 are significantly lower.  In fact, I have NO reading goals at all, for likely the first time in my life.  My main goal (not really a resolution) for this year ahead is to learn how to be a good mother.  Seems admirable enough, right?  Wish me luck!  (...and you better start praying now!)

The Year of Baby

2011, like no other year, will be the year of the baby.  I will give birth in early January {hopefully soon!} and watch my baby grow throughout the year.  I will learn what being a stay at home mom will be like for a few months and then transition to life as a working mother.  I cannot imaging the changes that I am up for in the 12 months ahead, but I am sure that many, most, or perhaps all of my learning lessons will tie back to baby!

The question that is consuming me on the 1st of this year...

...when will he be here?!?

{because I really want to meet him, like now!}

I certainly don't know.  But I thought it would be fun to share the guesses of some of my friends and family.  Here is what people guesses at a few baby showers:  

{I left out the 2010 predictions since those have come and gone}

What do you think?  When will out little guy decide to make his grand entrance?