Since Nathan cut his first two teeth just weeks after his 5 month birthday (in March), I have been trying to snag a picture of his new additions. For a baby that constantly wants everything in his mouth and will literally hold his mouth open as if he is waiting for something to fly into it, catching a snapshot of his teeth should have been an easier. I did eventually get the opportunity while we were vacationing in the Netherlands. Nathan was sitting up, by himself I might add, with his dad one lazy morning. I was able to get him to giggle and flash his little Chiclets at me.

I think they are so cute! Doesn’t he wear them well? They work well too. We were fortunate that the right tooth came in one afternoon and the left tooth followed the next day. If you have had a baby getting new teeth, then you know it is less painful for everyone when they come in pairs!

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I am excited to announce that Nathan and I are registered for our first marathon. It is the perfect “race” for this duo as we have been easing our way into running since we received our BOB Revolution SE Stroller a couple of months ago.

So what is the Joggermom Marathon? It is a virtual marathon hosted by Joggermom.com. It is a way for all moms, at any fitness level, to get out and do something fun that will also benefit their health. The coolest thing about this marathon is that anyone can accomplish it. But Deanna, you may say, isn’t a marathon 26.2 miles? It sure is. And when you participate in the Joggermom Marathon you will have the entire month of May to run those 26.2 miles. How cool is that? Totally doable, right? To enter and get all the fun facts on how to participate, visit joggermommarathon.com.  Registration is only $10 ($15 after April 30th) AND in recognition of the #1 killer of women, heart disease, Joggermom is donating 10% of each entry fee to the American Heart Association. So, let’s getting running ladies…this is OUR month!

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This Easter couldn’t have been more perfect. I not only got to spend the day with my wonderful husband and sweet baby boy, but I got them to wear coordinating outfits, avoid getting themselves dirty AND pose for pictures. More importantly, I rejoiced in the greatness of our Lord on a sunny Easter day here in Germany.

We headed out to church mid-morning and celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. After the service, we enjoyed a large potluck lunch and some fellowship with friends. Once home, we relaxed for a bit. I tried to get Nathan to settle down for a nap since he had only slept about half and hour the entire day. Well, he wasn’t having it. I then attempted to take Easter photos of a tired baby. Here are the results…

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Two interesting articles in the news today. Apparently it is major news that Reese Witherspoon is pregnant. That really is great news. She certainly deserves a fresh, happy start after the experience she went through with her first marriage. Here’s a quick snapshot from CBS News:

The celebrity world is all abuzz over Reese Witherspoon’s reported pregnancy. Us Weekly cites multiple

sources who say the 36-year-old actress is about three months along.

Although Witherspoon has yet to comment on the reports….”

The other interesting news bit relates to selecting baby names. On Fox News, experts are stating that baby name regret is on the rise. Although the article doesn’t really state parents are feeling bad about the names they choose, it does discuss how overwhelmed parents are with the name choices. Apparently, there are too many choices and it’s leading to stress!

Okay, a peek or two probably won’t hurt you. But if you’re planning on trashing “15,000 Baby Names” for the even-lengthier “The Baby Name Countdown: 140,000 Popular and Unusual Baby Names,” you may be setting yourself up for a fall.

Psychologists are finding that more choices often lead to more paralysis and regret, and baby names seem to be no exception.”

Do you think Reese Witherspoon has a name selected already or will she spend her days reading through pages and pages of baby name books? She is such a beautiful girl who seems so down to earth. I just hope she chooses something we can all pronounce.

For the other name fanatics out there, like me, you can ignore this “warning” about name overload and wanting a large list of baby names…

100,000 + BABY NAMES:The Most Complete Baby Name Book

Price: $9.98

(46 customer reviews)

351 used & new available from $0.01

15,000 Baby Names

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(15 customer reviews)

25 used & new available from $2.60

The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby

Price: $11.19

(145 customer reviews)

228 used & new available from $0.05

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More cloth diapers for sale! This package includes:

48 Prefolds with 12 Thirsties Snap Duo Wraps
The prefolds are made of unbleached Indian cloth. You’ll receive 24 small and 24 large. The large have yet to be used, so they are brand new. The small have been used, but are in excellent condition. The shells include:
6 size 1 Thirstie Wraps
Colors are:
2 White
1 Green
1 Yellow
2 Striped
6 size 2 Thirstie Wraps
Colors are:
3 Orange
3 Blue

Asking $160. If interested, contact me at deanna@mommyship.com.

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For those of you looking to buy some used cloth diapers, you may be interested in these…

I am selling 1 dozen FuzziBunz One Size Pocket Diapers. Each diaper comes with 2 terrycloth inserts (1 small and 1 large) and extra elastic for your growing baby.
Colors include:
3 Apple Green
3 Light it Up Blue
2 Buttercream
2 Watermelon Red
2 White

All in excellent condition! Asking $170. If interested, contact me at deanna@mommyship.com.

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This past weekend, Brad, Nathan and I went sight seeing in Eltville am Rhein. It is a quaint little town situated on the Rhein River. We found it to be a quiet, charming, very clean and relaxed place to stroll on a Sunday afternoon. On our outing, Brad decided he would carry Nathan in our Infantio Carrier instead of taking the stroller. Because Nathan’s arms and legs are exposed to the elements when in the carrier, I made sure to bundle him up in pieces that would 1. keep him warm and 2. would not bunch up or fall off (those darn socks!). With all of that in mind, fleece was the only way to go. I love that fleece doesn’t have to be bulky to keep one warm. I layered Nathan with a long-sleeved onesie, thick, long socks and then put on some fleece pants with built-in foot casings and a zip-up, hooded fleece jacket. When I was all done dressing him, I held him up and smiled at my creation…with his pointed hood and its bright red color, I had what looked like a real life gnome.

If Nathan knew any better, I am sure he wouldn’t have minded, for he loves whenever we watch Gnomeo and Juliet. If you haven’t yet seen the movie, you are in for a treat. The story line is very creative and you will get to sing along with many of the Elton John classics. I can especially relate to the movie since gnomes are very popular here in Germany.

Infantino Swift Classic Carrier Black

Price: $15.99

(114 customer reviews)

4 used & new available from $15.99

Gnomeo & Juliet (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Price: $13.98

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62 used & new available from $7.00

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For the first few months of Nathan’s life, it was rare for him to spit up. Now that we are in month 4, spitting up is more common, unpredictable, slimy and just down right gross. One “episode” in particular had me utterly amazed. Amazed…not only at the amount that came out of this little baby, but its ability to actually travel down my back.

WARNING! I am going to show you a picture of what it looked like…

What’s comical to me is that once I went to clean myself up, I placed Nathan in his swing. When I returned to him, he looked like he was thinking about what he did to his mommy and felt a little guilty about it. I wonder if he was thinking that if he covered his mouth, no more would come out : )

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I just had to share some pictures of Nathan in this little bear hat from The Children’s Place. I, of course, think he is too cute. We were given the hat along with some other goodies as a shower gift before Nathan was born. That was back in September, so I am excited that we can make use of it this winter here in Germany. After all, aren’t bears known for their ability to keep warm : )

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I have been keeping the window in my laundry room (located in the basement) cracked for some time now. Here in Germany, the houses are solid. They are built with thick block, which doen’t allow the house to “breath”. For that reason, I will crack my windows daily to allow the condensation that has accumulated to escape.

In the case of the laundry room, the dryer produces quite a bit of moisture, so I was leaving the window above the machine cracked all the time. That is until I entered one early morning, flipped on the light and saw something running across the front of the machines. I am an animal lover, so not much frightens me, but I screamed for my husband in fear of it being a rat (the one animal that terrifies me because of how dirty and disease-carrying they are). We quickly determined that it wasn’t a rat, but something that resembled a mouse. Our house is situated near fields of various grain, so it wasn’t a surprise that we may have a field mouse visiting us.

Nestled in a corner behind the washer, the fuzzy little creature would have time to rest until Brad got home from work and could devote more time to his capture. I, on the other hand, was eager to see it up close and to identify what it really was. I went on the Internet in search of common creatures here in Germany, while I waited for the little one to venture out from the corner. A couple hours later, I returned and was able to creatively capture what was already starting to nibble on various things in attempts to gather food. I determined that our visitor was a vole, which we named “Vinnie”. Many of you may be thinking “eww…”, but look how completely adorable this little guy is…

“What is a vole?”, you might ask. According to Wikipedia, it is “a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars.” Rodent or not, I think they are too cute.

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Nathan recently received his last set of vaccinations for the year. Here in Germany, vaccinations are given each month until the fourth month of life (at least in our case they were). As many of you know or at least can imagine, it is not a pleasant experience watching a child receive any type of shot. Up to this point, we had experienced with Nathan what most parents do–his initial shock of being poked with a needle, then the scream, the turning of different shades of red, the anticipation of him taking another breath, then the tears. This doctor’s appointment delivered all of those things, except they came before the shot was actually administered.

As we waited in the examining room, Nathan laid on the table, relaxed and enjoying the taste of his hands. It wasn’t long till his tall, handsome, super friendly, English-speaking, German doctor entered the room. Brad and I took a step back from Nathan so the doctor could take over. The doctor looked down at Nathan, smiled and said, “Hello. How are you today?” For a second, Nathan gave a “deer in the headlights” stare. He then, to our surprise, started to scream and cry. The doctor picked him up and started to talk to him. Again, deer in the headlights and then wailing. Brad took Nathan to comfort him and we all discussed Nathan’s first stranger danger experience. Even though Nathan has encountered this doctor several times before, I think that he is aware of the difference in how his parents sound in relation to the doctor (the doctor has a heavy German accent). Of course, if he has formed any kind of memory of what this doctor typically administers, that would certainly make him cry. I do love the fact that this kid is so easy to console. Once he was in the arms of mom and dad, he was back to smiling.

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Last week, Nathan turned 4 months young. I can’t believe it! When people said that my time with my son would fly by, they weren’t kidding! For that reason, I savor each day that I have with him. I also feel the need to celebrate every milestone–BIG or small. The most recent milestone was his 4 month birthday. For this special occasion, we celebrated by introducing baby food in the form of carrots.

I have to say that I had some high expectations for this event. I knew that he wouldn’t really “eat” much of it, but I totally thought he would love the taste. Well, I can’t say that he loved the carrots, but I don’t think he hated them either. Throughout the feeding, he seemed focused as he explored this new type of food. It was fun to watch him experience the taste and texture. I can imagine that once he gets the hang of actually swallowing it, he is going to be excited for more.

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Now that my husband and I are parents, it is heart warming to catch glimpses of him in his role as dad. There are, however, moments when I think…

What was he thinking?

Doesn’t he know that…

What’s this?

Seriously?

Wow.

Ugh.

Err…

I recently entrusted my husband with the duty of changing Nathan’s diaper. Apparently the diaper change warranted a complete change of clothes. When Brad handed him back  to me, I ran through my mental bank of questions and thoughts (as previously stated) and then just laughed. There was nothing left to do.

He not only had two articles of clothing that COMPLETELY didn’t match, but he had the onesie on backwards! What gets me is that the high neckline in the front and plunging neckline in the back (as well as the football) did not prompt him to think about whether it was on correctly. Thank God I don’t have to rely on him being a stay-at-home dad : )

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A pretty big package arrived in the mail for me this week. I was totally psyched to open it and find the materials for my Baby Signs Instructor Kit.

I decided to become an instructor last year when I was just a few months away from giving birth to my precious baby boy. Teaching sign language will not be totally new to me. I have a degree in Speech and Hearing as well as Special Education–both of which have given me opportunities to learn sign language and integrate it into the curriculum to help my students. With that, I have seen first hand, the positive impact that using sign language with young children can have. It will be exciting to learn the program and begin implementing it with my Nathan.

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My husband and I recently gave away our iPad to a family member who has been wanting one for quite some time. Although I didn’t really make use of all that the iPad had to offer, there is one app that I used often and am yearning for…

Aside from just being super fun to use (some of my downtime included just doodling with this thing), I like that I can use my finger for simple strokes or a stylus for more detailed work. I also love the zoom functionality and being able to undo and redo at the touch of a button. I realize the reviews on Adobe Ideas is mixed. The controversy seems to be over working with layers, which I haven’t dabbled in yet. If your purpose isn’t that of a professional graphic design nature, but are looking to have some fun at an amateur level, then I highly recommend it. It is also something that is completely appropriate for kids. Here are a few things I have created in Adobe Ideas. I am obviously not an artist–just having fun.

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It seems like I have been searching for the perfect mac n’ cheese recipe forever. Well, you may think this blog entry is going to tell you I’ve found it and then share it with you–wrong. Sorry folks. I am still in search. BUT, I have found a recipe that is worthy of mentioning. It is a recipe that I got from a Family Circle magazine. The issue was featuring several mac n’ cheese recipes. In my opinion, they weren’t really mac n’ cheese recipes, but variations of pasta dishes. Anyway, my husband absolutely loves this mac n’ cheese and did I mention he is a picky eater? This is a rich dish with a whole lotta cheese. SO much cheese, that I could only have one serving. I don’t mean at a sitting, I mean altogether. That’s why this one didn’t earn the title. If you think you can handle it though, here’s watcha do…

1 pound penne

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups 2% milk

1 tablespoon onion flakes

2 teaspoons mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 bag shredded Swiss

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar

4 ounces shredded Gouda

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 quart dish with nonstick spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne; cook 11 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in and cook, whisking for 1 minute. Whisk in milk, onion flakes, mustard powder, salt and cayenne. Bring to a simmer, whisking for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss cheeses together. Whisk 2 1/2 cups of the cheese into milk mixture until smooth. Stir sauce into pasta. Spoon half into prepared baking dish. Top with half of the remaining cheese. Repeat layering, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase heat to a broil and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until bubbly and browned.

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I have been wanting to take a cake decorating class of some sort for a while now. You can imagine my delight when a friend found an opportunity here in Germany that was in English. The class was instructed by this lovely Canadian woman who owns her own cupcake company. She brought in all kinds of fun supplies to the class and taught us how to work with fondant as well as how to frost cupcakes making a rose design and the traditional swirl. Hanging with my friend, decorating cupcakes was one of the funnest afternoons I have had. The fun continued when I got home, for then I got to indulge in my creations : )

I think we did pretty well for first timers…

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The first week we brought Nathan home from the hospital, he showed us his very first smile.

He’s about to turn 4 months already and is still smiling. I feel so blessed that he is a happy baby. I mean the kid literally wakes up smiling. I was talking to him the other morning and I took these photos of him laughing…

I’m not even sure what I was saying to him to get him going like he was, but he was cracking up! It was too funny. A baby’s laugh really is one of the cutest things in this world.

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I recently went in search for an easy recipe that would make for a nice heat and serve meal for my neighbors. There are so many great recipe websites these days, I didn’t have to look far. I chose a baked ziti recipe from allrecipes.com. I ended up modifying the original a bit to suit my own tastes and to have it make enough to serve my family as well. Since this was a new recipe, I wanted to try it out before serving it to others : ) I was able to add just a few more ingredients to do so and am happy to report that everyone loves this dish. It is cheesy and hearty. I served it with a crisp salad and some yummy garlic bread on the side. Here’s how it’s done…

Ingredients:

1 package Italian sausage

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 boxes penne pasta, cooked and drained *reserve 1 ladle full of water once noodles are done

2 jars spaghetti sauce (I like Newman’s Own Organic Tomato and Basil)

1 16 oz. container Ricota cheese

16 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese (reserve 4-6 ounces for topping)

*This recipe can be reduced by simply using less noodles and only 1 jar of spaghetti sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 (170 Celsius). Bring a large pot of water to a boil (check box for water amount); add noodles. Add salt and oil. In a large skillet, cook sausage on medium low; breaking sausage up into small pieces as it cooks. About halfway through cooking the sausage, add the onion. Once sausage and onion are thoroughly cooked, turn heat to low. Stir in 1 jar of spaghetti sauce. Add spoonfuls of Ricotta. Continue to stir and add Mozzarella. Stir in remaining spaghetti sauce and the ladle of reserved noodle water. Turn off heat. Drain noodles. Using a large casserole dish, combine noodles and sauce. Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella on top. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until it bubbles around the edges.

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This past week, Nathan experienced his first visit to the veterinarian’s office. No, it wasn’t for his check-up, but for our Chocolate Lab Brandon.  As with most medical offices, it seemed like we had to wait quite a while to be seen. As we waited, we asked Nathan to hold on to Brandon’s leash. It is so comical how intrigued he was with the leash. Something so simple, yet so complex to a young mind. I love watching him experience and learn about new things.

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