Colton Edward: 2 month update

We are defiantly getting more into a routine and Mommy is adjusting to this new life as a mom.  I never forced a feeding or nap schedule but when I started to track our day, I found out you created your own schedule.  This month we ventured out more and more to visit friends, Christmas shop, and take walks when it wasn't too cold. Mommy's best friend Lauren came to visit from California.  It was so nice of her to come all this way to see us.  You were such a good boy when we went out to dinner.  We go to our Mommy support group every Wednesday and we both enjoy getting out and meeting new people.  Because you don't sleep through the night I often had to take a nap during the day to make it through the evening but I am starting to get use to my new sleep schedule and rarely take a nap during the day.  This also means I (and Daddy) go to bed when you do to make sure we maximize our sleep during the night.

I am loving how more aware you are getting each day.  You laugh and smile more and more each day.  I love when you laugh when playing by yourself on the floor.  Your eyes follow daddy and I when we walk around and you often get a little upset when Mommy leaves the room.

I can't believe I only have 2 1/2 weeks left at home with you.  The time has flown by.  I am looking forward to our first Christmas as a family of 3 and can't wait to spend it with Grandma and Grandpa Lucht in Arkansas.

2 month update

Size: 13 lbs 8 oz Big boy!

0-3 month clothes and some 3-6 month 

Food: Nursing is still going well.  I do a transfer weight at our Mom's group and you take in about 4.5 oz.  I still try and feed you from a bottle once or twice a day to get you ready for day care.  During the day you nurse every 3 hours and are nursing at night mostly every 4 hours sometimes 5.  

Sleep: You are awake for the day between 7-8am. Depending on when you wake up, you take a 20-30 minute name between 8:30-9:30 each morning.  You sometimes take another 20-30 minute nap between 11:30-12:30 and then nap for about 1-2 hours around 2:30.  Bedtime is between 8 and 9.  You wake up during the night about every 4 hours.  The past week you starting going 6 hours from your last feeding before bed and then waking 4 hours after that.  I hope this means you will start to sleep even longer stretches soon

Hair: You are continuing to loose your light brown hair and it is growing back in blond.   

Eyes: Blue with beautifully, long eyelashes.  

Likes: Car rides, walks, being help, playing

Dislikes: Being hungry, when Mommy leaves the room.  

Mommy update: My tailbone injury is still bothering me but the pain is more manageable.  At my 6 week Drs. appointment she just told me I had to give it time to heal.  My pre-pregnancy clothes are starting to fit me a little better but hopefully I can get into a little better shape before heading back to work.  Otherwise I have no idea what I am going to wear for work.  

Colton Edward: 1 month update

Time has flown by! Your first week home Grandma Lucht stayed with us.  It was so nice to have both her and Daddy home so I could focus on only you and know they were taking care of everything else. Before we left the hospital, you became jaundice so we had to get your billirubin levels down.  They wanted us to stay another night but we opted to go home because it just felt right.  I am glad we did but we had to continue to monitor your levels with multiple visits to get your foot pricked for blood work and the UV bed for a couple days.  I also had to supplement your feedings with formula.  Needless to say it was very stressful around here.  I was super emotional, sleep deprived, and just constantly worried about you.  I felt like I couldn't really enjoy my time with you.  After a week, your levels were continually decreasing so could stop all the treatments and monitoring.

You had your first "photo shoot" at 6 days old. You were such a good boy and the photos were adorable!  Grandpa came on Friday to celebrate your first Halloween.  I love Halloween so I had two outfits for you.  During the day you were a skeleton and at night you were a koala.  I can't wait for the day when we actually get to go trick or treating with you.

Daddy went back to work after 4 weeks. I am so thankful that Daddy was able to stay home with us that long! Daddy going back to work also meant he took his first work trip since your birth. It was only 1 night away but we still missed him. I won't lie that I was a little jealous that Daddy was going to get some uninterrupted sleep.  Speaking of sleep, you are not a terrible sleeper but not great. You just want to eat every 2-4 hours. Those rare 4 hour stretches are amazing but most of the time it is every 3 hours. I can't complain because you are a newborn and you usually go right back to sleep after eating.  Luckily I am also someone who can go back to sleep quickly.

Charlie and Sasha are being a good big brother and sister.  Sasha loves to lay on the Boppy pillow with you and really is not affected by your crying.  Charlie runs into the room if you are crying to check on you.  He is constantly sniffing you and checking you out.

 

1 month update

Size: 11 lbs 1 oz (Mommy joined a Mom's support group so I get to weigh you every week) 

0-3 month clothes (you grew out of newborn sized clothes pretty quickly)

Food: You are exclusively breast feed.  I started to give you a bottle at least once a day with pumped milk and you take about 3 oz.  You nurse every 2-3 hours and sometimes 4 at night

Sleep: Bedtime is between 8 and 9.  You wake every 2-4 hours to nurse but go right back to sleep afterwards.  You are awake for the day between 7-8

Hair: Light brown but it is starting to grown in more blonde

Eyes: Blue

Likes: Car rides, walks, being held

Dislikes: Being hungry 

Mommy update: Recovery from labor has been the hardest part of this whole pregnancy.  I bruised/broke my tailbone during labor and it is so painful to sit and get up from standing. I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I am definitely more flabby then before.  I am also having a hard time finding clothes that fit me. My regular clothes don't quite fit and I don't have any maternity clothes for this colder weather.  Lots of yoga pants for me.  I also try to get out a couple times a week even if it is just to Target.  I feel so much better when I leave the house and be "normal".  

Colton's Birth Story

At my 39 week appointment I was 3 cm dilated so I wasn't sure if I would make it through my last week of work. I was very anxious the whole week thinking I would go into labor without having everything in place for my sub. I made it to Friday and my 40 week appointment to find out I had not progressed any. At that point I was ready to have this baby. My doctor decided to schedule my induction. We were scheduled to check into the hospital Wednesday night at 8pm and I was going to receive Cervidil in hope that it would kick start my labor and I would not have to be induced.  It was game 3 of the World Series so Jason and I hung out and watched the Royals. I finally received the Cervidil at 10pm and then was allowed a snack at midnight. I knew this would be my last meal for many hours so I made sure I stayed awake for my snack. I didn't sleep much that night for many reasons but mainly because I couldn't get comfortable with all the wires attached to me.

The next morning I had dilated to 5 cm but still no contractions. I was then given Pitocin at 7am. My doctor came around 9am and decided to break my water. The second she did that I immediately starting feeling the most intense contractions. I had decided to see how long I could go without getting an epidural but once my water broke the pain was unlike anything I had every felt. I was in tears and thought I would throw up from the pain. Once the epidural kicked in I felt immediate relief and fell right to sleep. It was the best sleep since getting to the hospital.

The rest of the day was a lot of waiting. I kept progressing but Colton did not want to move down. The other issue was that he was face down so starting around 2pm they put a "peanut" exercise ball between my legs as I laid on each side for about 30 minutes to hopefully get him to move down and move face up. Around 3:30 he had moved down but was still not completely face up. At that point it was time to start pushing. Even with the epidural I was still able to feel the pressure of the contractions so I knew when to start pushing. Even with all the pushing, Colton did not want to come out. I was becoming very exhausted and ready to meet my little man. At 5pm my doctor came to help coax Colton out. The next 30 minutes were the toughest but I wanted him out so bad. Finally at  5:30pm my precious baby boy was born. He weighed 8lbs 14 oz, was 21 1/2 inches long, and had a head circumference of 14 inches. He was a big, healthy boy!

Getting Ready For Baby

I can't believe I have only 3 months until Colton is born!  He is definitely growing.  I feel like my belly gets bigger everyday and things are becoming more difficult to do.  We finally finished painting the babies room and are ready to start decorating.  

Jason finished the ceiling and painted the walls but I prepped the room and painted the trim.  I was definitely feeling it afterwards.  Painting has never made me that sore.  Putting the ceiling fan back up with Jason was also pretty difficult and would have been pretty entertaining to anyone watching us. 

I finished the 3rd piece (doggy picture) of my wall art.  I am very happy with how it turned out.  Having a Cricut is definitely worth every penny.  

Last weekend my parents came to visit so that my mom could go shopping at a couple consignment sales with me.  I am so thankful she was here because it was such an overwhelming experience.  Friday we went to the Just Between Friends Northland Sale and bought a few items.  It was pretty laid back and not crowded at all.  On Saturday we went to the Rhea Lana Sale and boy was that an experience.  I went Black Friday shopping one time in my life and this was pretty similar.  There were so many items and the second we walked in people were snatching up items right and left.  I was like a deer in headlights and had no idea where to begin.  The hottest item was the Mamaroo.  They are about $225 brand new and were being sold for $85!  Great deal but they were all gone in seconds and I didn't really want to get anywhere near that crowd.  Once the initial shock wore off, my mom and I finally got down to business and were able to find some good items.  

My cousin and his wife actually gave me the car seat and base so I found the stroller this weekend.  Not pictured is a pack-n-play my mom bought for their house.  I could have bought a ton of clothes but didn't want to go overboard and am waiting until after my baby shower to see what I actually need.  I am very happy with my purchases and the prices I paid.  I would highly recommend these sales to any new or expecting mom.  There are some great deals and so many of the items looked like they had never been used. I am actually considering going to the same sales in neighboring areas just to see what other items I can buy. Buying all these items just made the upcoming birth even more real.  Definitely scary but very exciting as well. Can't wait to meet little baby Colton!  

Pregnancy Update: 26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks
Total weight gain: I do not keep track.  I only get weighed at the doctor's office
Maternity clothes: Almost everything I wear
Stretch marks: None yet but I have started using Palmer's Cocoa Butter
Sleep: Sleeping great!
Exercise: Stretching everyday but not much exercise.  With the cool weather coming this week I am hoping to go for more walks
Miss anything: A nice, cold beer.
Movement: All the time! Thankfully he sleeps through the night.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I am lucky to have not had any sickness through this whole pregnancy
Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery
Nervous about: Going back to school and getting ready for a long-term sub.

 

Three Thoughts for Thursday

One
Sasha has almost doubled her weight in a month! We are curious to see how big she will actually get.  We are guessing 75-80 pounds but who knows.  She is getting so tall and has so much energy.  Charlie loves playing with her but when he needs a break she wants to keep going.  Our recent vet visit showed she was parasite free and doing great!  She is getting use to the leash and will hopefully be able to go for walks very soon.

Two
Another birthday has passed.  It was one of the most laid back birthdays yet but I wasn't complaining.  It was the first birthday in a long time that I did not have a celebratory drink but I made up for it with free Starbucks, a fun, fruity drink, and a yummy birthday pie.

Drink Recipe Here

Pie Recipe Here

Three

We have finally started to think about decorating the nursery. Last weekend Jason starting scrapping the popcorn ceilings in the nursery and has plans to finish this weekend.  It is not a fun job so I am so happy to have an amazing husband who is willing to do it.  

We are planning on painting the walls grey, purchasing white furniture, and having accents of turquoise.  Below is one of my inspiration photos. I don't necessary have to have the chevron design but just love the colors together.

I also created some wall art that I think turned out pretty well. (And yes we are naming our baby, boy Colton!)

Photo Credit

July Currently

It has been awhile since my last "Loves of the Month".  This time I decided to change it to "Currently" as I have seen on a few other blogs.  I thought it would be easier to write about what is currently happening in my life than think back on what I liked from the previous month.  

LISTENING

To Sasha and Charlie play together.  Sasha loves Charlie and he is so patient with her.  It could get interesting when Sasha is Charlie's size.

LOVING

Feeling baby move around in my tummy.  I thought it would feel really weird feeling and seeing something move around in your tummy but it is the complete opposite.  I smile every time I feel him move.  

THINKING

About how fast summer is going and there is so much I haven't done that I wanted to.  I need to get moving but it is so nice just relaxing during my last summer by myself.  

WATCHING

I jumped on the bandwagon and starting watching "Orange is the New Black".  To be honest it is okay but think there are much better shows out there.  I enjoy Netflix's "House of Cards" so much better.  

READING

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite things about summer is reading.  I have read a decent amount of books already and have a long list of books I still want to read.

Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Fault of Our Stars by John Green

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbot

Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook by Aimee Buckner

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Currently reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner

PLANS FOR THE 4th

Celebrate my 33rd birthday by heading to English Landing Park in Parkville for their 4th of July Celebration during the day and watching all the fireworks in the city from our house at night. 

Introducing Our New Addition, Sasha!

We always said that we would get another dog right away if something would happen to either Charlie or Aspen.  We just didn't know it would happen so soon and when I was 5 months pregnant.  I thought it was crazy when pregnant people got puppies.  Your lives are already going to be turned upside down with a new baby, why would you want to add a puppy to the mix?  Lesson learned that you never know what you will do until you are in the same situation.  Watching how lost and depressed Charlie was, we knew he needed a playmate.  He is only 2 years old so is still young and loves to run and play with other dogs.  Jason and I were also very sad and needed a distraction from thinking about Aspen.

We started looking for another dog right away.  I have never wanted to buy a puppy from a breeder because there are so many loving animals stuck in shelters that need homes.  Charlie was a shelter dog we rescued 2 years ago,  hence why we have no idea what breed(s) he is.  Jason isn't completely against buying from breeders because he is pretty particular on what kind of dog he wants. We started looking online at shelters and craigslist.  We found a ad on craigslist for lab/Newfoundland mix puppies (we are not small/medium size dog people).  They looked really cute so we decided to make the hour drive out to the middle of nowhere.  We actually were looking at getting one of the tan colored puppies but once we got there we both feel in love with an all black puppy.  The lady who had the puppies was not a breeder but just had a lot of farm dogs that had just had pups.  We got to meet he mom and dad who were both very sweet dogs.  We already knew we were going to name her Sasha.

First car ride home

The first night in her new home

We had made a vet appointment for the next day which we were very thankful for.  We already knew she was covered in fleas and ticks and wanted the vet to check for worms.  She had a pretty intense day at the vet getting rid of all the ticks and fleas.  We also found out she had both roundworms and hookworms.  The vet said Sasha was very lucky we rescued her.

Sasha is doing much better now and is getting use to our life. Charlie and her play all the time together and she is growing everyday.  We tried to kennel train her at night and during the day but we quickly found out that was NOT going to happen.  She is much better now that we let her just sleep on a dog bed in our room and baby gate her in the kitchen when we leave.  I still miss Aspen everyday but look forward to our new life with Sasha.

Aspen: 8/15/2008 - 6/4/2014

If you know anything about Jason and I you know that our dogs are very important to us.  They are not just pets, they are family.  We love taking our dogs on hikes and they always come with us when we visit both our our parents.  We hate leaving them with strangers so we have only boarded them once.

Jason had Aspen for almost 2 years before meeting me.  It was one of the things that attracted me to Jason.  I loved dogs and finding someone who loves dogs as much as me was a plus.  I had also wanted to get a dog for awhile so I was happy to "adopt" Aspen as my own.  She was a very high strung dog when she was young but when we got Charlie, she became a completely different dog.  She was a great big sister and really taught Charlie the ropes.  She stopped crying when we left the house and just became more calm and relaxed.  Even though he never gave up, she never let Charlie cuddle with her.  That was just her personality but you could tell she loved Charlie and couldn't live without him.

We always knew that when one of them would pass away, we would have to get another dog because they loved being a pair.  They loved playing and going on adventures together.  We just didn't think that day would come as soon as it did.

After Memorial Day weekend, Jason was set to be out of town from Wednesday-Friday.  It was also my first week of summer vacation so I would get to be home with the dogs every day.  Both dogs and I started going on walks every morning and everything seemed fine.  But there were a few things that were somewhat out of the ordinary.  At the beginning of the week, Aspen wan't eating very much.  I wasn't too concerned at first for a couple reasons.  We had just come off the holiday weekend where I knew the dogs had eaten a lot of people food.  Aspen only eats when she is hungry so having so much people food could have filled her up for a few days.  Also when Jason is out of town, it sometimes takes her a few days to eat normally.  She still didn't like when either one of us wasn't there.  They other thing that was concerning me was the fact that she was throwing up at least once a day.  Aspen often threw up because she cleans herself like a cat and gets hairballs, had eaten a lot of people food the weekend before, and we had been outside more where it was hot and she was still getting rid of her winter coat.  I really started to get concerned as the week progressed and it seemed to get worse.  She stopped eating all together, even when Jason came home and was still throwing up every day.

That Saturday we decided to head to Smithville Lake to let the dogs go for a swim.  Aspen was so excited and loved going for a swim.  Looking back now, I am glad we had decided to go and have such a fun time with the dogs.  She slept most of the weekend but we just assumed it was from the all the swimming and heat. On Monday morning, Aspen woke me up at about 5:30 to go outside.  The earliest our dogs wake us up is around 6:30-7:00 unless they are not feeling well.  It had rained that night, so after I let them out I headed to the laundry room to grab a town to dry their paws off.  It was dark still so I didn't see the wet spot on the floor and stepped right in it.  At first I thought Aspen had thrown up but now I am confident it was actually pee because of the amount and how clear it was.  I called the vet at 7:00 and made an appointment for 11:00 to get her checked out.

Before leaving for the vet, I was a little concerned for Charlie.  He had never been left alone.  Even when we took Aspen to the vet, it was usually on a Saturday and either myself or Jason was still here.  Our vet is in Liberty so it takes us a good 20 minutes to get there.  The car ride was not good.  I didn't think Aspen would make it without throwing up.  She looked awful and was shaking.  I was so scared and couldn't drive fast enough.  Even when I put the window down she wouldn't stick her head out which was a sign to me that something wasn't right.

As soon as we got to the vet office, she was acting like herself and wanted to play with everyone.  At that point I thought I was crazy for bringing her in but I am glad I did.  The vet checked her over and she had no abdominal pain but when she looked at her eyes the whites were very yellow which is a clear indicator of liver problems.  At this point I began crying.  In my gut, I knew something was wrong but I just kept hoping it was nothing.  The vet took her back for blood tests.  The blood tests clearly showed something was going on with the liver.  They vet thought it was probably something she ate so they wanted to admit her for X-rays, a  ultrasound, and to start her on a fluid and medication regime to flush her system out of any toxins.  It was hard to leave her there but I was confident she would get better.

The next day, Jason and I went to visit her and it was one of the hardest things to see.  She was hooked up to IVs and was very out of it from all the drugs she was on.  She seemed to know who we were and just went to sleep once we were there.  We we left, we didn't know it would be the last time we would see her. We got a call the next morning and the vet was concerned.  She wasn't getting any better.  She hadn't eaten and had thrown up the water she had just drank along with a pill they had given her the day before.  She was also showing signs of abdominal discomfort.  The vet wanted to do another X-ray with dies to see if there was something blocking her GI system.  A short time later the vet called us back and said that Aspen had quickly gotten worse and now she wanted to do exploratory surgery and take a liver biopsy.  The vet was quick to say that she was not ready to give up and was determined to find the problem.

We waited all day for the results.  We finally got a call that evening around 6:30 with an update.  The surgery showed nothing was blocking her GI system but her liver looked pretty bad.  The vet thought it was some form of hepatitis but wouldn't know for sure until the biopsy results came back.  She prepared us for what to expect when we came to visit Aspen the next day.  She said she was very out of it and also was very bloody from the surgery.

A couple hours later we got another call from the vet to say that Aspen had not made it.  She had died in her sleep.  Both Jason and I were devastated.  We just kept racking our brains on what she could have gotten into.  To this day it is very hard to believe she is gone.  She was was so young and such a huge part of our life.  We loved her so much and just couldn't imagine our lives without her.  Charlie was actually handling it better than I thought he would.  He would just search the house for her and stuck pretty close to either myself or Jason.  He seemed lost without her and didn't really know what to do when I let him outside.

We didn't get the biopsy results until the following Tuesday (almost a week after Aspen passed) that her liver was covered with cancer cells.  We were happy to have closure and know what the cause was.  It also helped to know that it was nothing we did or could have prevented.  We just don't know how long she had been sick.  We read so much about liver problems in dogs and we learned that dogs don't really show signs of liver failure until it is too late. We have an amazing vet who truly cared for Aspen and was just as devastated as us.  We know she did everything she could.

We miss Aspen everyday.  I was so excited to see how she would be with our baby.  I thought she would become a little mama protector and bond with the baby.  I have pretty much cried the entire time writing this post.  I know that I will eventually be able to talk about Aspen without crying but will never forget her.

Goodbye my beautiful princess.

We are Pregnant!

I am almost 23 weeks pregnant but am finally getting around to blogging again.  I have been writing this blog post since we found out.  I don't enjoy writing that much but know I will appreciate all the documentation of our life later on.

So far I have had a pretty easy pregnancy.  I did not have any morning sickness or any other problems.  The worst party was how tired I was during my 1st trimester.  I didn't think you could ever be that tired or sleep that much.  The biggest issue I have had is lower back problems.  Jason got me the Snoogle pregnancy pillow and that helped a TON! Now that I am on summer vacation, not being on my feet all day has also helped.  I am thankful that I have had a pretty easy pregnancy but what does this mean for my labor?  

Finding Out and Telling Jason
After the 1st of the year, Jason and I stopped "preventing" a possible pregnancy. We were convinced it would take some time to get pregnant based on our age and all the struggles with pregnancy we have heard from friends. So we were a little shocked when we found out I was pregnant after the first month.  We were not counting days, taking ovulation tests, or anything else like that.  It just happened naturally.  Who would have thought?

I waited a week after my missed period which happen to be Valentine's Day.  I had the day off so I took a pregnancy test and it turned to 2 lines instantly!  I didn't even have to wait 30 seconds!  I took another one just to be sure and it was the same result.  I had bought Jason a plant and card for Valentine's Day so I decided to tell him in the card. After he read it, he was a little unsure if I was kidding or not.  His first remark was "We'll that didn't take long."  (He is so sentimental).

1st Doctors Appointment: 6 weeks

I had my first doctors appointment during my 6th week.  Since we haven't told anyone yet, I made up an excuse of why I was taking the morning off work.  The appointment was pretty uneventful just a lot of information to take in.  The cost part is freaking us out but we will make it work.  We always do.  I have my next appointment at 10 1/2 weeks where we will hopefully get to hear the heart beat. I am still convinced something  bad is going to happen between now and then but I am trying to stay positive.

2nd Doctors Appointment: 10 1/2 weeks

I had been looking forward to this appointment since I knew we would be hearing the heartbeat for the first time.  The second I heard the heartbeat, I started crying.  It was a mix of relief that everything was okay and it made this pregnancy even more real. They were definitely tears of joy.   I had recently told our parents and a few friends but was still waiting to make an announcement to everyone.  We had our 1st trimester genetic testing appointment coming up and I wanted to get the results of that before we told any more people.

1st Trimester Testing: 12 weeks

We decided to go ahead and do the 1st trimester genetic testing just so we knew if there was anything we needed to prepare for.  The best part about this is that you get to have an ultrasound.  Seeing baby for the 1st time was unreal.  It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.  It was crazy how after such a short amount of time the baby looked so human like. We got our first pictures of the baby and the great news that the chances of having a baby with a major genetic disorder was very low.

Gender Revel: 19 1/2 weeks

I had to wait almost 6 weeks since are 14 week appointment to hear/see baby.  I was very anxious to see that everything was okay.   I also had my last round of blood work to test for genetic disorders and again everything turned out great.  Jason accidentally scheduled a work trip on the day of our appointment so we planned to have the results of the gender sealed until he got home later that day.  Baby looked great and there was nothing to be concerned about.  It was amazing to see how much baby had changed and grown since our last ultrasound.

Jason and I planned to go to dinner and open the results of the gender together.  We went to an early dinner because we just couldn't wait anymore.  From the minute I found out I was pregnant, I thought I was having a boy.  At the time, Jason kept saying that he didn't have any idea.  We had agreed on a girl name but could not agree on a boy name, so that is another reason I thought we were having a boy. My parents thought we were having a girl from the beginning.  Jason was afraid I was going to cry at the restaurant but I was able to keep it together.  We opened the results and found out we were having a....BOY!! I guess my instincts were spot on but I did have 50/50 chance of being correct. Jason then told me he was only thinking about having a girl and hadn't really thought we would have a boy.   I guess my life of fishing, sports, and trucks will begin very soon.   We are super excited and can't wait to meet baby boy Betts!

January Loves of the Month

READING

I finally finished The Garden of Last Days! It was an okay book but didn't keep my attention enough for how long it is. It probably would have been a better summer read.  I did read Divergent which is really good.  I look forward to reading the other ones in the series.  I am currently reading Sylvia Porter: America's Original Personal Finance Columnist.  It is written by my cousin Tracy Lucht.  I have read very few non-fiction books in my life but am trying to make a change this year.  I thought reading my cousin's book would be a great start. I am enjoying the book so far.  If you like learning about powerful women in our history this is definitely a must read.  I had never heard of Sylvia Porter before this. I am learning how important she has been in our history especially with the success of so many personal finance guru's out their today.

WATCHING
In January we rented The Butler which we both enjoyed. We also rented two documentaries that were both sad and disturbing, Blackfish and More Than Honey.  It really makes you look at what we as people are doing to our environment.  I personally think More Than Honey should be watched by everyone who does any sort of yardwork/gardening.  It might make you think twice about what you spray in your yard.

MUNCHING
One weekend I made a double batch of Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins that I found on Pinterest that were REALLY good.  I did add some peanut butter chips and sprinkled pecans on top before baking. I ended of freezing 1/2 of the muffins for later snacking.  The recipe can be found here.

LISTENING
Dark Horse by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J and Demons by Imagine Dragons

BEST THING ABOUT JANUARY
The 3 BEAUTIFUL, warm Sundays that allowed us to go hiking with our dogs.

December Loves of the Month

READING
I am STILL trying to finish The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III.  In my defense it is over 500 pages long and I don't read many pages each night.Thankfully winter break has allowed me to read more so I have less than 100 pages to go.  I already have my new book picked out, Divergent by Veronica Roth. It has recently been made into a movie.  Jason picked it up
during a business trip and wants me to read it next so he can talk to me about it.  I love having a husband who reads as much as I do.

WATCHING
We recently rented Elysium and Meet the Millers.  Both worth watching especially if you love Matt Damon (Elysium) and Jason Sudeikis (Meet the Miilers) as much as I do.  We also re-signed up for Netflix and I have watched all 13 episodes of House of Cards in one week. GREAT show that is only played on Netflix.  Looking forward to season 2 beginning February 14th.

MUNCHING

LOTS of cookies and sweets! Between my annual get together with friends decorating cookies, participating in a cookie exchange, and gifts from students I was on a sugar high most of December.  One thing I always eat in December is oyster stew with summer sausage sandwiches.  It is a family tradition on my dad's side of the family to make this every Christmas Eve.  I have carried the tradition on and this is my 3rd year making it. I actually made it twice this year since we celebrated Christmas with my parents the weekend before Christmas.

LISTENING
I mostly just listened to Christmas music in December.  One of my favorite Christmas songs in Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas but I also enjoyed Kelly Clarkson's new Christmas song this year Underneath the Tree.

BEST THING ABOUT DECEMBER
Spending the holidays with my parents for the first time in way too long and of coarse the two weeks off of school is pretty nice.