7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 8

We've had a fun visitor to the avocado plant we've got growing on our deck... it's been there for the whole week, just hanging out!  Can you see it?  Look closely!

 Here's a close-up!

Judah has a new skill that he recently mastered, and loves to show off whenever prompted.  It is the funniest thing to watch him try to figure out how to coordinate his little fingers!

When teeth start getting this crazy, you know they're ready to pop out!

Sure enough, the very next day...

When we were picking out which seeds to plant in our container garden this year, Ezra picked Cantaloupe, which I figured was benign enough. Apparently, I was a bit mistaken... let me tell you, I am learning a few things about Cantaloupe!

First thing being, it's not the best pick for container gardening:

Second, they attract these horrendous bugs, called Tile Horned Prionus Beetles.  I'll spare you the pictures in case you are squeamish, but if you're really interested, just click the link.  I've warned you!  They're anywhere from 1-4 inches long, and basically resemble giant cockroaches with approximately mile-long antenna coming out of their heads.  In fact, it's hard to tell whether they're antennae, feathers, or huge pinchers, which adds a whole new dimension of freakishness to them. They were swarming our porch every night! Oh, and did I mention they FLY?!  Thankfully, they don't live long in their adult life stage, so they disappeared reasonably fast.  But, oooh, I get the heebie-geebies just writing about them!  (Note to all future Cantaloupe farmers - don't plant them anywhere near where people might possibly want to be, due to this strange bug attraction).

Anyway, we are at least seeing some exciting progression!

This is the biggest one, and there are a few more starting to develop!  It will be so fun to eat some homegrown Cantaloupe!  Unless I  have more surprises to come before we get to harvest time...

Two words:  Pure Heaven

Here's a little comic relief from Isaac:

Lovely, Isaac.  Thank you for that.

These pictures, to me, perfectly capture the joy and blessing of babies!  There's nothing better than cuddling up with a sleeping little one.  Not even peanut butter mixed with chocolate ice cream!

I hope your weekend is as blessed as our week has been!

Moby Wrap Giveaway!

'Tis the season for baby carrier giveaways, so it seems!  Raising Homemakers is having a giveaway for a Moby Wrap!

Back when I wrote my post about loving Babywearing so much, I had not yet tried a wrap.  I kept hearing about how awesome they are, but was really hesitant to try one, because they looked a little complicated.  However, after being able to see several friends "in real life" demonstrate their use (and marvel at how fast their littles fell asleep in them!), I was convinced!

A sweet friend loaned me a Moby Wrap to try, and then surprised me by saying it was mine to keep!  So Rachel spent her infant carrying days snuggled up next to me in the Moby.  It was bliss, for both of us!  It took a slight learning period, but once I got the wrapping thing figured out, the Moby quickly became my second favorite baby carrier (second to the Ergo, of course).  For the infant stage, it is definitely my top favorite!  It is better balanced than a sling or a pouch, and so soft and snuggly!

This is the only picture I have of Rachel in the Moby - see her little head peeking out?  She's sound asleep!

I did find that the Moby got harder to use as she gained weight, because of it's stretchy material. After doing more research, I found that woven wraps are not as stretchy, and can even be worn on the back with babies and toddlers!  Another generous friend has loaned me one of her beautiful wraps (be sure to see the great wrapping pictures she has on her blog!), which is the pink one I've modeled recently.  Woven wraps are more expensive than a Moby, but also more versatile.

Either way, wrapping is now one of my favorite methods of babywearing!  I consider a Moby an excellent baby shower gift - not *too* expensive, and soooo wonderful for newborns!  If you've never tried one, or know a mama who might need or want one - definitely enter the giveaway over at Raising Homemakers!  The giveaway closes June 20, so you'll have to hurry!

Ergo Baby Carrier Giveaway!

I've gushed before about how much I absolutely LOVE my Ergo Carrier!  It is seriously one of the few baby items I consider a "must-have" for mamas.  So I was more than excited to see that Dee from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is holding a giveaway for an Ergo Carrier!  She's got lots of ways to enter, so now's the chance to try to win one!  Don't pass this up!

Just to demonstrate the versatility, here's one of my favorite pictures (it's from last year) It's Isaac, age 9, wearing Judah, 14 months, in the Ergo.  They loved "hanging out" together like this, and Isaac is already asking when he can wear Rachel!  I love that the Ergo can be used easily, comfortably, and safely by more than just ME!  No one else in my house is brave enough to try a wrap or a sling! ;-)

Be sure to head over to Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House, to enter!  It ends on the 27th, so there's lots of time!  She's got lots of other great giveaways going on, too!

A Glimpse into Our Week

Here's a peek into a typical run-of-the-mill week at our house!

We do schoolwork

(before)

(after)

We build things

We make discoveries

We grow things

We pretend we are puppies and do silly dances

We eat together

It gets hot

(We turn on the AC!)

We do chores

We share smiles

And at the end of it all... we sit back and relax!